Repro Rights Roundup: November 28, 2017

Welcome back to the Repro Rights Roundup!

Since last week was shortened by the Thanksgiving holiday, there isn’t a lot of new action on the women’s health front to report. Today, we've got some good news out of the states, and important read, and a couple of extras from A Is For.

1. An update from last week: Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has signed a law requiring state insurers to provide no-cost birth control regardless of changes to the ACA, making Massachusetts the first state in the nation to guarantee free birth control for all.

2. In Texas, a federal judge has declared parts of a state law banning the most common form of second trimester abortion unconstitutional, citing the undue burden standard. Judge Lee Yeakel (who, we’d like to note, was appointed to the bench by anti-choice all star George W. Bush) went on to say in his 27-page opinion that the state’s alternative to dilation and evacuation, referred to as “fetal demise”, was “unwanted, risky, invasive, and experimental”.

3. The Center for Investigative Reporting has published a story on how the federal government has been referring immigrant minors to anti-abortion counseling centers. While the content won’t come as much as a surprise to those who followed the recent Jane Doe abortion case, it’s a must-read. The anti-choice forces in our government are going to lie, sneak, and find every loophole they can to stop women and girls from receiving legal abortions. Pieces like this one say loud and clear that we aren’t going to let them get away with it.

4. It’s the holiday season, and that means one thing: you’re going to be spending time with your sexist family. Though Thanksgiving has come and gone, our guide to breaking bread with misogynists is the perfect way to get yourself ready for Christmas, Hanukkah, Yule, Festivus, or whatever brings your family together in December.

5. Finally, today is Giving Tuesday! We hope that you will consider making a donation to A Is For. With your help, we can support pro-choice legislators, local clinics, and women across the country. That’s one hell of a holiday gift if you ask us. 

Thanks for joining us at the Roundup! We’ll see you next week.

Natalie Tyson is a contributor to A Is For. Natalie lives in Virginia, where she writes stuff, bakes stuff, and drinks a truly remarkable amount of seltzer water. You can't find her on any social media - it terrifies her - but she's glad you asked. She accepts tips.