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RandySF's Journal9 Republicans pull support from South Carolina bill allowing the death penalty for abortion
Nine South Carolina Republicans who had co-sponsored one of the most severe anti-abortion proposals in the country have since withdrawn their support, reversing course on a measure that proposed applying the state’s homicide laws to people who undergo abortions.
The legislation, which had 24 co-sponsors — all Republicans — since its introduction in January, lost support from nine of them in recent weeks.
Reps. Kathy Landing and Matt Leber were the first to pull back support in late February.
Leber, who was also among the first Republicans to support the measure in January, told NBC News that he decided he couldn't support the bill's existing language and realized it had no chance of passing.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/9-republicans-south-carolina-abortion-death-penalty-bill-rcna75383
Montana considers new wave of legislation to loosen vaccination rules
When Deb Horning’s youngest daughter was 5, she got her measles, mumps, and rubella shot like many other kindergartners. But unlike many other moms, Horning had to stay away from her daughter for a week after the shot.
Horning, 51, was diagnosed in 2014 with acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive cancer — the five-year survival rate for those older than 20 is 27%. Horning had been through chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant, which severely weakened her immune system. Because the MMR vaccine contains live virus, she couldn’t get the vaccine herself and had to temporarily avoid her vaccinated daughter.
Now, Horning is worried about Montana legislation that could further compromise her and other immunocompromised people by making it easier for more people to opt out of routine vaccinations.
“If they do allow this, and a significant amount of people don’t vaccinate their kids, then there could be community spread,” Horning said. “And then I’m really in danger, the same as a newborn is in danger.”
In 2021, Montana passed House Bill 702 — the first of its kind in the nation — which prohibited discrimination based on vaccine status in settings like employment, education, and health care. In effect, it banned private businesses and local governments from requiring employees to be vaccinated, not just against COVID-19 but any disease. A federal judge ruled the law unconstitutional in health care settings in a lawsuit filed by hospitals, medical providers, and nurses. Two other lawsuits challenging HB 702, one by private businesses and another by tribal nations, are pending.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/16/rural-populist-party-farmer-citizen-movement-big-winner-dutch-elections
Rural populist party emerges as big winner in Dutch elections
A new populist party surfing a wave of rural anger at government environmental policies has emerged as the big winner in Dutch provincial elections, dealing a heavy blow to the four-party coalition of the prime minister, Mark Rutte.
The success of the Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB) in Wednesday’s vote, which will determine the makeup of the senate, casts doubt over the government’s ability to pass key legislation, including its plans to slash nitrogen emissions.
“The Netherlands has clearly shown we’re fed up with these policies,” BBB’s founder, Caroline van der Plas, told the public broadcaster NOS. “It’s not just about nitrogen, it’s about citizens who are not seen, not heard, not taken seriously.”
Van der Plas, a former agricultural journalist who founded the BBB four years ago, said the party was “ready to talk with everybody”, adding that the movement “cannot be ignored any longer. The train in The Hague keeps rolling. We’re going to stop it.”
With almost 90% of votes counted, the BBB had secured a share of 19% – enough, according to projections, to give it 15 members in the 75-seat senate when the provincial assembly members choose the new upper house in late May. That would make the new party the biggest bloc in the upper chamber with the combined Labour (PvdA) and GreenLeft parties, also projected to have 15 senators. Rutte’s coalition is on course to see its combined seat total fall to 24 from 32.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/16/rural-populist-party-farmer-citizen-movement-big-winner-dutch-elections
Wyoming Becomes First State to Outlaw Abortion Pills
Wyoming on Friday became the first state to ban the use of abortion pills, adding momentum to a growing push by conservative states and anti-abortion groups to target medication abortion, the method now used in a majority of pregnancy terminations in the United States.
Wyoming’s new law comes as a preliminary ruling is expected soon by a Texas judge that could order the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to withdraw its approval of mifepristone, the first pill in the two-drug medication abortion regimen. Such a ruling, if it stands, could upend how abortion is provided nationally, affecting states where abortion is legal as well as states with bans and restrictions.
Legislation to ban or add restrictions on medication abortion has been introduced in several states this year, including a bill in Texas that would not only ban abortion pills but also require internet service providers to take steps to block medication abortion websites so people in Texas could not view them.
In these states, proposals to block or restrict abortion pills have typically been introduced along with other anti-abortion measures, a reflection of the range of obstacles to abortion these states have tried to erect since the Supreme Court overturned the national right to abortion last June.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/17/us/wyoming-abortion-pills-ban.html
MI: In 'history-making' votes, Democratic-led Senate passes gun reform legislation
A little more than one month after a mass shooting killed three students at Michigan State University, the Democratic-led Senate on Thursday passed an 11-bill package that aims to curb and prevent the gun violence that has traumatized children, parents and communities across the state.
Garnering uniform support among Democrats and largely condemnation from Republicans, Senate Bills 76–86 would mandate universal background checks for all firearm purchases in Michigan, require that gun owners safely store firearms that could be accessed by minors, and permit a court to order the temporary removal of guns from someone who may be a danger to themselves or others.
Sen. Rosemary Bayer (D-Beverly Hills), who chairs the Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention Caucus and vehemently fought for gun reform following the November 2021 mass shooting that killed four students at Oxford High School, called the bills “some of the most important legislation that we will ever have a chance to vote on.
“After years of talking about this, years of calling attention to the escalating gun violence in our state, after years of statewide polling of Republicans and Democrats, gun owners and non-gun owners telling us that they strongly favor gun safety legislation, after years of constituents calling and demanding that we do something about this, after years of things just getting worse, we are finally taking action to begin the process of making our state safer — making our kids, our families, all the people of Michigan safer,” Bayer said.
https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/history-making-votes-democratic-led-senate-passes-gun-reform-legislation
Legislation would allow voters to decide abortion rights in Nebraska Constitution
LINCOLN — One day after proposed abortion restrictions faced a hiccup in legislative support, a Nebraska lawmaker made the case Thursday for voters to determine whether abortion protections should be enshrined in the State Constitution.
Legislative Resolution 18CA and LR 19CA, both proposed by State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha, would put the question to voters in 2024 if approved by the Legislature.
LR 18CA would add “reproductive freedom” to Article 1, Section 1 of the Nebraska Constitution as one of the “inherent and inalienable rights.” In Nebraska, that includes life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness and the right to keep and bear arms.
LR 19CA would add Section 31 to Article 1, stating that each individual has a “fundamental right” to reproductive freedom, including all matters relating to pregnancy. The amendment states specifically: prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, sterilization, abortion care, miscarriage management and infertility care.
In addition, the state could not penalize, prosecute or otherwise take adverse action on actual, potential, perceived or alleged pregnancy outcomes.
Hunt said she offered two options to allow the Legislature to decide what course of action to present to voters.
https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/legislation-would-allow-voters-decide-abortion-rights-nebraska-constitution
Citing staffing issues and political climate, North Idaho hospital will no longer deliver babies
Idaho’s Bonner General Health, the only hospital in Sandpoint, announced Friday afternoon that it will no longer provide obstetrical services to the city of more than 9,000 people, meaning patients will have to drive 46 miles for labor and delivery care moving forward.
“We have made every effort to avoid eliminating these services,” said Ford Elsaesser, the hospital’s board president, in a news release. “We hoped to be the exception, but our challenges are impossible to overcome now.”
The hospital said it will continue to provide women’s health services at Sandpoint Women’s Health and collaborate with Kootenai Health in Coeur d’Alene, which is about an hour from Sandpoint, to provide obstetrical care.
https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/citing-staffing-issues-and-political-climate-north-idaho-hospital-will-no-longer-deliver
MI: Whitmer signs LGBTQ+ non-discrimination bill into law alongside civil rights pioneer Mel Larsen
In a historic and profound moment for LGBTQ+ rights in Michigan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday signed legislation to expand a nearly 50-year-old civil rights law to encompass protections for LGBTQ+ Michiganders.
Whitmer put her signature to Senate Bill 4 — which expands the 1976 Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) to protect against discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation — in Lansing alongside LGBTQ+ leaders, officials and lawmakers and one of the two original cosponsors of ELCRA.
“This moment is so long overdue, and too many suffered on the journey to get here,” said state Sen. Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield), sponsor of SB 4. “But … turns out they were waiting for us. They were waiting for a Legislature with the courage to stand up to hate and stand up for equality. They were waiting for members of our own community to tell our story in the chambers of the State Capitol.
“And they were waiting for a governor like Gretchen Whitmer to sign [this bill].”
That came after many Republicans, led by GOP gubernatorial nominee Tudor Dixon, ran against LGBTQ+ rights in the 2022 election. After proposing book bans and a Florida-style “Don’t Say Gay” law for schools, Dixon lost to Whitmer by 11 points. Democrats also won control of both the House and Senate for the first time in nearly 40 years.
https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/whitmer-signs-lgbtq-non-discrimination-bill-law-alongside-civil-rights-pioneer-mel-larsen
Kansas governor vetoes legislation banning transgender athletes from school sports
TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly for the third straight year has vetoed model legislation that would ban transgender girls from playing school sports with cisgender girls.
The Democratic governor said Friday the annual attack on transgender students sends “a signal to prospective companies that Kansas is more focused on unnecessary and divisive legislation than becoming a place where young people want to work and raise a family.”
“Let’s be clear about what this bill is all about — politics,” Kelly said. “It won’t increase any test scores. It won’t help any kids read or write. It won’t help any teachers prepare our kids for the real world. Here’s what this bill would actually do: harm the mental health of our students.”
House Bill 2238 would require children as young as kindergarten age to participate in school activities based on the gender they were assigned at birth. Challenges potentially could expose them to genital inspections.
The Kansas State High School Activities Association said earlier this year that the law would apply to approximately two student athletes in Kansas schools.
https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/kansas-governor-vetoes-legislation-banning-transgender-athletes-school-sports
MT: Cascade County Elections Office said mail ballots may not be feasible; five elections on horizon
Mail-in ballots may be off the table for upcoming local elections in Cascade County as the Elections Office scrambles under new leadership.
In January, the Secretary of State’s Office approved Cascade County’s mail ballot election plan. However, on March 10, the county elections officer said a poll election would be held instead.
The change caused confusion for several local school districts and the library mill levy slated to be on the ballot, and the path forward still is unclear. The Elections Office said it will be giving a presentation on the plan next week but did not elaborate further.
Friday, Senate Majority Leader Steve Fitzpatrick, R-Great Falls, said voters need mail ballots.
“The clerk’s got to figure that out,” Fitzpatrick said Friday.
Newly elected Clerk and Recorder Sandra Merchant did not respond to a message left with her office on Thursday. The elections staff member said she would pass the request for an interview to Merchant. Friday, the Daily Montanan followed up, and the staff member said Merchant was not in the office.
https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/cascade-county-elections-office-said-mail-ballots-may-not-be-feasible-five-elections
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