Abortion Laws - FL, GA, HI, ID

Part 3 in a series.

Florida - #29 - F
72% of Florida counties have on abortion provider.
Bans
Unconstitutional and unenforceable ban after 12 weeks.

Biased Counseling and Insurance Prohibition
May not obtain an abortion until provided a state-approved pack of information as well as a mandatory ultrasound.
Health insurance provided by the new state exchange established under the new health care laws may not include abortion if paid in part or full by state or federal funds, including tax credits or cost-sharing credits.

Refusal Clause
No one can be forced to provide any abortion OR CONTRACEPTIVE services. Yes, this means a pharmacist can refuse to fill a prescription for birth control.

Restrictions on Low Income Women's and Young Women's Access to Abortion
No public funds can be used for abortion services except in cases of rape or incest or to save the life of the mother.
No young woman under the age of 18 can receive an abortion until 48 hours after one parent is notified by telephone or in person by the attending physician. If parents cannot be notified, there must be a 72 hour wait after notification is sent by certified mail. Not waived in case of rape, incest, or child abuse. Waived in case of emergency.

TRAP laws
Abortion clinics must keep records of patients for five years, organized for easy retrieval. No limitation on who may have access to the records, and no guarantee of privacy for the patient. Abortion clinics must also obtain special "abortion clinic" licenses.


Georgia - #30 - F
94% of Georgia counties have no abortion provider.
Bans
Abortions after 20 weeks prohibited. Unconstitutional, Unenforceable ban on abortion after 12 weeks.

Biased Counseling
24 hour wait after receiving a state-approved lecture covering the usual: age of the fetus, development, estimate of viability, adoption services, pre-natal resources, etc. If she chooses to review the materials in written form she must wait 72 hours.

Refusal Clause
No one is required to participate in an abortion. Pharmacists are not required to fill or refill contraception prescriptions. County and State employees are not required to participate in Family Planning Services. No one is required to participate in sterilizations.

Restrictions on Low Income Women's and Young Women's Access to Abortion
Prohibits public funding for abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or danger to the life of the mother.
Women under 18 must wait 24 hours after a parent is notified by the attending physician, or 72 hours after mailing notification by certified mail. No exception for rape, incest, or child abuse. The young woman can, however, provide a signed statement from the parent saying they've been notified; the 24 hour wait can be waived if the parent certified in writing they have previously consulted with the young woman or if the parent accompanies the young woman to the procedure.

TRAP laws
Abortion facilities must be "available at all reasonable or scheduled operating hours for observation and examination" by state officials. No regulations provided for the safety or privacy of patients. All abortions other than D&E procedures must be performed in a licensed hospital or ambulatory surgical centers.

News Stories
Georgia's 20 week ban blocked temporarily by state judge



Hawaii - #4 - A
20% of Hawaii counties have on abortion provider.
No bans other than the Federal ban

Refusal Clause
No person or hospital may be required to participate abortion procedures. They must make reasonable efforts to find the patient a doctor that will provide the necessary services and continue to provide care until the patient is transferred.
Religious employers, defined as non-profit organizations whose sole purpose is a religious one and primarily employs people who share the religious values of the company, are not required to provide coverage for contraceptive services in their insurance plans.

TRAP laws
Only a licensed physician, surgeon, or osteopathic physician or surgeon may perform abortions.


Idaho - #44 - F
95% of Idaho counties have no abortion provider.

Bans
Ban after 20 weeks, no exceptions. Unconstitutional, unenforceable ban after 12 weeks that also outlines punishments for providers, including jail time, fines, and loss of medical license.

Biased Counseling and Insurance Prohibitions
24 hour waiting period after being provided with state-approved packet of materials.
Disability insurance policies, individual insurance policies, and managed care plans may not include insurance coverage with an exception only to save the woman's life. Abortion coverage may only be obtained by an optional rider paid for with additional fees; no requirements for insurance companies to offer the rider. Health insurance offered in the new state exchange may not include abortion coverage with exceptions to save a woman's life or in cases of rape or incest.

Refusal Clause
No one can be forced to participate in abortion or sterilization services; refusal must be in writing. Exceptions for emergencies.

Restrictions on Low Income Women's and Young Women's Access to Abortion
Prohibits public funding for abortion except for saving the life of the mother, rape, or incest. Rape or incest must be documented by law enforcement or attending physician; a requirement that it be verified by two physicians was deemed unconstitutional.
Young women under 18 may not obtain abortions unless they obtain the consent of one parent, except in cases of emergency, rape, or incest. No exception for child abuse.

TRAP laws
Unconstitutional requirement that all second-trimester abortions be done in a hospital. Providers must have "satisfactory" transfer arrangements with one or more acute-care hospitals within reasonable proximity. No exceptions for rural area clinics, or requirements for hospitals to make the agreements. Only physicians licensed by the state to practice medicine and surgery, or osteopathic medicine and surgery may perform abortions.

Idaho state code states:

"The supreme court of the United States having held in the case of 'Planned Parenthood v. Casey' that the states have a 'profound interest' in preserving the life of preborn children, Idaho hereby expresses the fundamental importance of that 'profound interest' and it is hereby declared to be the public policy of this state that all state statutes, rules and constitutional provisions shall be interpreted to prefer, by all legal means, live childbirth over abortion." 

News Stories
Idaho lawmaker compares abortion to prostitution

Other posts in this series:
NARAL's Report Card
Part 1: Intro, Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, and Arkansas
Part 2: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware
Part 3: this post
Part 4: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas
Part 5: Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland
Part 6: Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi

Why Rick Santorum is a Scumbag

So, after making a rather...vitriolic post on Google+ last night about this article, I think I'm ready to talk in a (slightly) more reasonable manner about it.

Basically, back in 2006, Rick Santorum made some....disconcerting comments about birth control.  Now, we all know that the GOP hates birth control and abortion and the thought of women doing what they want with their own bodies. But Santorum took that to another level, I think.

“It’s not OK because it’s a license to do things in the sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be. They’re supposed to be within marriage, they are supposed to be for purposes that are, yes, conjugal, but also, but also procreative. That’s the perfect way that a sexual union should happen. We take any part of that out, we diminish the act. And if you can take one part out that’s not for purposes of procreation, that’s not one of the reasons, then you diminish this very special bond between men and women, so why can’t you take other parts of that out? And all of a sudden, it becomes deconstructed to the point where it’s simply pleasure. And that’s certainly a part of it—and it’s an important part of it, don’t get me wrong—but there’s a lot of things we do for pleasure, and this is special, and it needs to be seen as special.”

This just ticks me right off. You see, I use birth control. I am married, we don't want kids. Even if I wasn't, the idea that sex isn't special unless it's for procreative reasons is absurd. So...older people, past child-bearing age, and infertile people - their sex isn't as good as the younger people who are having kids. It's not as special, according to Santorum. 

And he actually states that he believes birth control is harmful to women. Yeah, you heard me. 

“I vote and have supported birth control because it is not the taking of human life. But I’m not a believer in birth control and artificial birth control. I think it goes down the line of being able to do whatever you want to do without having the responsibility that comes with that. I think it breaks that … this is from a personal point of view of, from a governmental point of view I support that Title X,” he said.

“I guess it is and have voted for contraception, although I don’t think it works. I think it’s harmful to women. I think it’s harmful to our society to have a society that says that sex outside of marriage is something that should be encouraged or tolerated …, particularly among the young and it has I think we’ve seen very, very harmful long-term consequences to the society. Birth control to me enables that and I don’t think it’s  a healthy thing for our country.”

What? I mean, really, what?! Let me take you back a little bit, to the women's suffrage movement. Do you realize why, exactly, it happened when it did? What else happened in the 50s? Oh, that's right, we got the pill. We got a way to keep from being tied to the house and kitchen with a dozen kids. That gave us the ABILITY to be more than wives and mothers. And not just women! Men were required to work to support their families, including kids they may or may not have wanted but it was the price of having sex with their wives. No more! Don't want kids? Don't have them! That is now an OPTION, where it wasn't before. 

Birth control is not harmful to women; it frees them. I can work outside the home. I can go to school without worrying about daycare. I can have sex with my husband without worrying that it will cause an accidental child. 

EVERY CHILD SHOULD BE WANTED. That's why, since we don't want any, we take steps to prevent it. If more people did so, if more people had easier access to birth control, we wouldn't have as many children up for adoption or in foster care. Which would, in turn, be a smaller burden on the government to support! 

This is just another example of the GOP's war on women. And another example of the hate they have for the "weaker sex." (Ha. Right.) If you want more examples, stay tuned to this blog, I will post more in the weeks leading up to the elections, I promise!

Santorum is a disgusting excuse for a human being. Stay out of my uterus, scumbag.

Also, do you really want a president whose name is slang for something this disgusting? (Warning, link not for the squeamish.)