Abortion Battle Takes Center Stage As N.C. Ultrasound Law Goes Into Effect
The legislation requires doctors who provide an abortion after the 16th week of pregnancy to also provide an ultrasound of the fetus to state officials, a provision that has already been implemented in Louisiana and Oklahoma. In other news, Planned Parenthood Founder Margaret Sanger's grandson says he sees the same reproductive rights battles that his grandmother fought still playing out 100 years later.
The New York Times:
Law On Ultrasounds Reignites Abortion Battle In North Carolina
A state law requiring that doctors who perform an abortion after the 16th week of pregnancy supply an ultrasound to state officials has sparked a new and bitter front in the war over abortion here, with stakes that are both personal and political. Supporters say the purpose of the law is to verify that doctors and clinics are complying with state law, which outlaws abortions after 20 weeks but with an exception made for medical emergencies. Critics say the purpose is to intimidate and provide hurdles to women and doctors. (Fausset, 1/10)
Reuters:
Same Battles Rage On 100 Years After First U.S. Birth Control Clinic
Outside the crumbling Brooklyn building where the first U.S. birth control clinic opened 100 years ago, Alexander Sanger reflected on the move that landed his grandmother in jail and fueled a controversy over women's reproductive rights that has raged ever since. "This is where it all started," said the grandson of Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger in his first visit to the Brownsville, Brooklyn, site where she started her clinic in 1916. (Goldberg, 12/8)
