What We're Reading This Morning -- January 31
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Good morning everyone! Tonight, women (and men) in Florida will be watching as voters in the Sunshine State cast their ballots in the Republican presidential primary. Meanwhile, the Catholic bishops want to provoke a backlash against the president’s decision to protect access to birth control for the millions of women and families who work at religious affiliated universities or hospitals. Here’s what we’re reading this morning…
Senator Barbara Boxer is standing up for women everywhere, penning an op-ed in The Huffington Post: “Why President Obama Is Right to Ensure Access to Contraception for America's Families” – “The truth is, the president's decision respects the diverse religious views of the American people, who deserve the right to follow their own conscience and choose whether to obtain contraceptives, regardless of where they work. And that is what this policy guarantees -- with one carefully drawn exception. This decision respects the deeply-held views of religious institutions. If their mission is primarily religious and the majority of their employees and clients share that faith, religious institutions do not have to provide contraceptive coverage to their employees.”
Smart editorial from Minnesota defending the president’s decision to protect access to birth control, highlighting several important points in the Star Tribune’s latest editorial: “Right Decision on Birth Control” – “This policy does not require anyone to use birth control. In addition, courts have already rejected claims by Catholic organizations that requiring contraceptive coverage in employee health plans violates their religious freedom. Requiring these religiously affiliated institutions to cover birth control in their plans is nothing new. Twenty-eight states (Minnesota isn't one) already have "contraceptive equity" laws requiring birth control coverage for many plans covering prescription drugs.”
Nearly two million women in Florida do not have health insurance. WCTV has a new report: “Florida Women’s Health at Risk” –“A new study released by the Florida Association of Planned Parenthood Affiliates reveals that Florida women’s health is at serious risk. Nearly two million women across the state do not have health insurance. Almost a third of the people living with HIV/AIDS in Florida are women – and the state has the second highest number of women and girls living with AIDS in the entire country. Florida also has nearly a quarter-of-a-million unintended pregnancies each year. Released the day before the Florida House is scheduled to hear bills in the Civil Justice Subcommittee that will endanger women’s health, the ‘Women’s Health at Risk’ report highlights the misplaced priorities of some elected officials.”
