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5/7/2013 - Minnesota Judges Dismiss Anti-Abortion Funding Lawsuit

Last week, a Minnesota judge dismissed a lawsuit that attempted to end state insurance coverage for abortion. The lawsuit, brought against the state by a conservative anti-abortion legal group on behalf of "taxpayers", alleged that the Department of Human Services was using tax-payer money to fund abortions for women on state assistance when the procedures were not medically necessary and without the authority to do so.

Second District Court Judge Kathleen R. Gearin dismissed the case with prejudice on Thursday. In her opinion, Gearin cited a 1995 case Doe v. Gomez, which determined that if Minnesota funded pregnancy-related care, it would be unconstitutional to not fund therapeutic abortions (when there is a medical reason to terminate the pregnancy, or if it is the result of rape or incest). She also restated the guarantee to right to privacy as stated in Doe v. Gomez: "the difficult decision to obtain a therapeutic abortion will not be made by the government, but will be left to the woman and her doctor." Since the case was dismissed with prejudice, it cannot be filed again.

5/6/2013 - Rhode Island Becomes Tenth State to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage

On Thursday, Rhode Island became the tenth state to legalize same-sex marriage. In a vote of 56 to 15, the Rhode Island state House approved changes in a bill approved by the state Senate. That evening Governor Lincoln Chafee (I) signed the bill into law.

Governor Chafee, who has been pushing for marriage equality since he was elected Governor position in 2010, wrote an op-ed in the New York Times explaining why he supported the bill. He said:

"A historic realignment is happening all around us, as Americans from all walks of life realize that this is the right thing to do. It is occurring both inside and outside of politics, through conversations at the office and over kitchen tables, and at different speeds in different parts of the country. But once the people have spoken, politics should do its part to make the change efficient and constructive... I have been heartened in recent months to see members of my old party coming around on marriage equality... That reflects sound political judgment, and some values that are at least as Republican as they are Democratic, including a belief in marriage as an institution and a desire to keep government out of our personal lives."

Rhode Island's decision on marriage equality has triggered outrage from some of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Archibishop Salvatore Cordileone from San Francisco wrote a statement calling marriage equality a "serious injustice." He said, "Therefore, regardless of what law is enacted, marriage remains the union of one man and one woman - by the very design of nature, it cannot be otherwise."

Nine other states as well as the District of Columbia have legalized same-sex marriage. The Delaware state Senate is scheduled to consider a bill that would legalize same sex marriage in the state on Tuesday.

5/6/2013 - Florida Legislature Rejects Medicaid Expansion, Adjourns Without Vote

The Florida state legislature adjourned on Friday without a vote on Medicaid expansion that would extend healthcare to 1 million Floridians.

The Florida state Senate and House were unable to resolve their differences on two proposals that would extend Medicaid coverage. One version, passed by the state House, would use $237 million in state funds to expand Medicaid to approximately 115,000 Floridians and would reject funding from the federal government. The second would accept $50 billion of federal funding to provide Medicaid to 1.1 million Floridians, and has support from both the Obama administration and Republican Governor Rick Scott. However, without a decision reached on either bill before the end of the session, Florida will not see any Medicaid expansion in 2014.

Democrats in the state are calling for a special session in order to come to a decision on the plans. It is unsure if the Republicans, which hold a majority in the legislature, will allow that to happen. Governor Scott could also force lawmakers to have a special session.

Florida has one of the highest rates on uninsured residents, with an average of one in five people without insurance.

5/3/2013 - Colorado Legislature Passes Voter Expansion Bill

Yesterday, the Colorado state legislature approved a bill that will expand voter rights in the state. The bill would provide every voter a mail-in ballot, allow same-day voter registration, create a statewide voter database, and replace assigned precincts with general "voter centers."

The bill which passed in the state Senate with a vote of 20 to 15 and in the state House with a vote 36 to 26, received no votes from Republican lawmakers in either chamber. The bill, called the "Voter Access and Modernized Elections Act," was drafted with help from the bi-partisan Colorado County Clerk Association, which supports it. The Conservatives argued that the bill would allow voter fraud, and a ploy to get more Democratic votes. Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler (R) called the bill a "partisan power play."

State Senator Angela Giron (D-Pueblo) argued in the Senate, "It's a technical bill that was written by the county clerks...They're the ones who know, and they're the ones who are going to be held accountable every day when people come in to register and vote in county elections. I trust that."

Now, the bill will go back to the House to approve minor changes made by the Senate. If the changes are approved, the bill will be sent to Governor John Hickenlooper.

5/3/2013 - Florida Teenager Arrested Over 'Science Experiment'

A 16 year old student in Bartow, Florida was arrested under felony charges earlier this week after a science experiment caused smoke and a loud noise on school property.

Kiera Wilmot* mixed toilet bowl cleaner and aluminum foil in an 8oz plastic bottle for a science experiment after hearing it would produce non-toxic smoke from a friend. The reaction caused the top to pop off and smoke to come out of the bottle. No one was injured and no property was damaged. When questioned by the principal and teacher, Wilmot responded that it was a science experiment, but after it was determined that the teacher had not known of her experiment, the police were called. Wilmot was charged with felony possession/discharge of a firearm and discharging a destructive device. She will be charged as an adult. Wilmot was also expelled from school and will have to complete her high school degree through an expulsion program.

Principal Ron Pritchard told reporters that he believed she was simply doing an experiment. "She made a bad choice. Honestly, I don't think she meant to ever hurt anyone. She wanted to see what would happen and was shocked by what it did. Her mother is shocked, too... She is a good kid. She has never been in trouble before. Ever... She told us everything and was very honest," he continued. "She didn't run or try to hide the truth. We had a long conversation with her." A statement released by the Polk County School district said "Anytime a student makes a bad choice it is disappointing to us. Unfortunately, the incident that occurred at Bartow High School yesterday was a serious breach of conduct. In order to maintain a safe and orderly learning environment, we simply must uphold our code of conduct rules."

Kathleen Nolan, Princeton lecturer and author of Police in the Hallways: Discipline in an Urban High School told reporters "This young woman faces expulsion, felony charges and a criminal record because of what appears to be misguided curiosity. These zero-tolerance laws have put into place a mindlessness where individuals no longer think through these kind of situations and use their discretion."

*Though the student in question is only 16, her name was used since she will be tried as an adult.

5/2/2013 - Linda Dorcena Forry Wins Boston Democratic Primary

Linda Dorcena Forry won the Democratic primary for the open Massachusetts state Senate seat. She is the first Haitian-American to win a Massachusetts state primary, and will be running for a seat traditionally held by Irish-American men.

"I'm so grateful to the many, many members of the community, the folks who came out and supported the campaign working in every community, in South Boston, Dorchester, Mattapan, Hyde Park," Forry said, after her victory. "I look forward to working hard to win the support of the people who might not have been with me before. I'm going to work hard to get them on my side, asking for their support and their vote."

Forry won by a margin of 378 votes after incorrect ballots were sent to polls in South Boston. These ballots did not list the candidates for the state Senate primary. According to the Boston Election Commission, the problem was corrected by 7:30am. However there was concern that the error would prompt a challenge from Forry's rival opponent, Nick Collins.

Both Forry and Collins were state representatives prior to the primary. Forry represented the 12th Suffolk District and Collins represented the 1st Suffolk district.

5/2/2013 - Feminists Critical of Decision to Appeal Plan B Ruling

Late Wednesday night, the Obama Administration filed an appeal in the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals challenging a federal judge's decision that emergency contraception must be made available over the counter with no age restrictions. According to the New York Times, the Department of Justice will argue that Judge Edward Korman, who issued the ruling, did not have the authority to order the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take a specific action and should have sent the case back to the FDA to decide what to do.

The announcement comes a day after the FDA approved new guidelines for the sale of emergency contraception, commonly known as Plan B, as part of an application by the pharmaceutical company Teva Women's Health. Under the approved guidelines, anyone purchasing Plan B must have proof of age, either a driver's license, passport, or birth certificate. The package will also be changed to include the statement "not for sale to those under 15 years of age *proof of age required* not for sale where age cannot be verified," and will include a security tag to prevent theft or sale without proper ID. Anyone who cannot prove their age will be denied the medication.

Nancy Northrup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights which filed the legal case against the FDA, issued a statement saying, "We are deeply disappointed that just days after President Obama proclaimed his commitment to women's reproductive rights, his administration has decided once again to deprive women of their right to obtain emergency contraception without unjustified and burdensome restrictions."

Her statements were echoed by many organizations in the reproductive rights movement. Terry O'Neill, president of the National Organization for Women, told reporters "The prevention of unwanted pregnancy, particularly in adolescents, should not be obstructed by politicians... President Obama should practice what he preaches." Ilyse Hogue of NARAL Pro-Choice America said in a statement, "Unfortunately, today's appeal reminds us that sometimes our leaders are out of step with the reality women face every day. We can only assume that HHS is signaling that they are satisfied with the status quo. That's simply unacceptable." Eleanor Smeal, president of the Feminist Majority Foundation, said "The decision to appeal and continue to put unnecessary, and for too many difficult, obstacles for obtaining Plan B flies in the face of medical and scientific evidence. We argue that IDs suppress the vote, this ID regulation blocks access to a desperately needed health care product and could even cost young girls and women their lives."

Many others were also outraged over the new guidelines. Jessica González-Rojas, executive director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, said "Immigrant women and aspiring citizens of all ages have been hit particularly hard, since they are less likely to have government-issued identification... It's disappointing that the FDA decided to undermine the recent court victory for immigrant women and young Latinas by introducing more unnecessary obstacles to emergency contraception, which is safe and necessary."

Cythina Pearson, Executive Director of the National Women's Health Network, told Feminist Majority Foundation, "I'm disappointed that our government is still not treating women with the respect we deserve... A federal judge ordered the administration to drop the politics and do the right thing - remove the age limit on EC... But women will still have to show ID to the cashier. That's just plain unfair - and it will create a barrier for many women of all ages, who don't have government-issued ID."

"This is a disappointing step by the Administration because it still doesn't lift the barriers to access of emergency contraception to all who need it," Dr. Susan Wood, former FDA Assistant Commissioner for Women's Health, told Feminist Majority Foundation. "This action once again disregards the medical and scientific evidence, and leaves barriers to women who will still have to produce an ID to purchase Plan B. Unfortunately this means that this will go back to the courts to resolve the issue."

5/2/2013 - Feminists Critical of Decision to Appeal Plan B Ruling

5/1/2013 - Signature Drive for 2015 Mississippi Personhood Begins

Last week, Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood approved the language for a 2015 ballot measure that would amend the Mississippi state constitution to define life as beginning at conception. Now, supporters must collect 107,216 valid signatures of Mississippi voters to add it to the Mississippi ballot in 2015.

Initiative Measure No. 41, originally approved by the state legislature on March 5, would ask Mississippi voters "Should the Mississippi Constitution be amended to state that the right to life as a person begins at conception?" If approved, it would add the following amendment to the Mississippi Constitution: "The right to life begins at conception. All human beings at every stage of development are unique, created in the image of God, and shall enjoy the inalienable right to life as persons under law."

Already, opposition to Initiative Measure 41 is growing. A petition and Facebook group called "No Means NO: Mississippians United Against Personhood" was started to raise awareness about the renewed Personhood drive and to gather signatures against Measure 41.

In 2011 Mississippi voters defeated a similar Personhood Amendment. Women's rights supporters successfully defeated the dangerous Initiative 26, a state constitutional personhood amendment that would have given full rights to fertilized eggs, 58% to 42% with 96 percent of precincts reporting. If passed, Initiative 26, which proposed to give constitutional rights to a fertilized egg, would have banned emergency contraception, birth control pills, and IUDs as well as all abortions, even in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the woman or girl. The Personhood Amendment would have even gone so far as to eliminate medical choices for women, including some cancer treatments, in vitro fertilization, and could allow the state to investigate and even prosecute a woman for a miscarriage. Initiative Measure No. 41, if approved by voters and signed into law, would also ban abortion in all cases, many forms of birth control, and other vital reproductive health services.

In addition, President Obama attacked Personhood efforts at the Planned Parenthood nation conference on Friday. The President called the 2011 Personhood Amendment in Mississippi "absurd" and "an assault on women's rights." He continued, "and that's why when the people of Mississippi were given a chance to vote on that initiative, they turned it down. And Mississippi is a conservative state."

5/1/2013 - Amid Massive Hunger Strike, Obama Renews Push to Close Guantanamo

President Obama announced his renewed desire to close the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay in a press conference yesterday. He said that the prison was created in an understandable reaction to the tragedy of 9/11, "but we are now over a decade out. We should be wiser. We should have more experience in how we prosecute terrorists." He would prefer that the inmates be moved to a high security prison on U.S. soil, which many in Congress oppose.

Obama continued, saying Guantanamo is costly and provocative in foreign relations: "Guantanamo is not necessary to keep America safe. It is expensive. It is inefficient. It hurts us in terms of our international standing. It lessens cooperation with our allies on counter-terrorism efforts. It is a recruitment tool for extremists. It needs to be closed." He will press Congress to lift its restriction on Pentagon intervention in Guantanamo.

The announcement came when a major hunger strike at Guantanamo that began in February escalated in recent weeks. The White House deployed a large medical team to Guantanamo to help administer life-saving nutrients to strikers. At least 100 of the 166 prisoners are now refusing food in hopes of altering the way guards treat inmates. Allegedly, guards mistreated copies of the Qu'ran belonging to some inmates several months ago. A small fraction of the inmates went on strike in February, and guards placed the participants in isolation. When participants resisted or became violent, guards fired rubber bullets. This prompted more of the prison population to refuse food in opposition of maltreatment. The Guardian argues that the strikers also cite the fact that almost half of the prisoners have been cleared for release but the government has not moved them from Guantanamo. The branch of the State Department which deals with resettlement of prisoners was shut down earlier this year, and no governmental organization has taken up the task.

The closure of Guantanamo was a stated goal in Obama's 2008 platform, but the prison was not mentioned in his second inauguration. Some military officials speculate that his silence on the issue in his second term may have contributed to unrest in the prison.

4/30/2013 - WA State Senate Staffer Says Gays Can Go "Grow Their Own Food"

A staff person for Washington state Senator Mike Hewitt (R-Walla Walla) recently told a Washington blogger that LGBT individuals can fend for themselves when they are denied services under a recently proposed bill.

Jay Castro, a reader of the Washington blog column Slog at The Stranger, called Senator Hewitt's office to ask about his sponsorship of SB 5927, which would allow people to refuse to provide services and discriminate against LGBT people because of "sincerely held religious beliefs." Castro asked an unidentified staffer, "What are rural gays supposed to do if the only gas station or grocery store for miles won't sell them gas and food?" Hewitt's staffer responded to Castro, "Well, gay people can just grow their own food" (emphasis added).

When Slog blogger Anna Minard attempted to call the office for clarification, she was hung up on three times by staffers before being told "It was a poor response to a question, that's really all I want to say about that. [Castro] caught me at a bad time; I'm not interested in answering hypotheticals. It was a combative call. Patience was lost, mistakes were made, and that's it." The spokesperson said that the staffer's comment was not representative of Hewitt's views on the proposal.

4/30/2013 - Florida Showdown Over Medicaid Expansion, ACA Funding

The Florida state legislature has a week to reconcile two different versions of a Medicaid expansion bill that could either provide coverage to 1.1 million Floridians, or to only 115,000. The debate over the two versions of the bill is over the question of whether or not Florida should accept funding from the federal government that is tied to the Affordable Care Act.

The conservative-controlled state House passed a bill on Friday that would use $237 million in state funds to expand Medicaid to approximately 115,000 Floridians and would reject funding from the federal government. Republican Florida state Representatives argue that the rejection of federal funds is to prevent deficit spending by the Obama Administration. Many fear that with this bill many low-income families would still not be able to afford healthcare. Under this plan, families would have a $25 monthly premium. Comparatively, Florida House members on the state insurance plan only have to pay $8 a month.

On Monday, the state Senate amended the House bill to reinstate the acceptance of federal funding. Accepting federal funding for Medicaid has bipartisan support in the state Senate. The amended bill would accept $50 billion of federal funding to provide Medicaid to 1.1 million Floridians, and has support from both the Obama administration and Republican Governor Rick Scott. The Florida state Senate still has to vote to approve their amended bill.

If the amended bill passes in the Florida Senate, it is unlikely to have enough support to pass in the state House before the end of the 2012 - 2013 legislative session this week. This would mean that legislative efforts to expand Medicaid coverage in Florida would have to start over in the next legislative session.

4/29/2013 - Mary Thom, Former Ms. Magazine Executive Editor, Dies at 68

Mary Thom, one of the longest serving editors of Ms. Magazine, died in a motorcycle crash over the weekend. Thom was the Editor in Chief of the Women's Media Center.

Thom joined Ms. Magazine in 1972 as a researcher and stayed with the magazine for twenty years as executive editor. In 1992, Thom wrote Inside Ms.: 25 Years of the Magazine and the Feminist Movement, a history of the magazine. She also edited a compilation of letters sent to Ms. from 1972 to 1987.

The co-founders of the Women's Media Center, Jane Fonda, Gloria Steinem, and Robin Morgan, said in a statement "Ms. Magazine, the Women's Media Center, the women's movement and American journalism have suffered an enormous blow. Mary was and will always be our moral compass and steady heart."

"She was always there," said Eleanor Smeal, president of Feminist Majority Foundation and publisher of Ms. Magazine. "She was always there as a guiding hand to make sure that the spirit of feminism came through in everything in the writing at Ms. Magazine and later at Women's Media Center. She strengthened the writing of two generations of feminists. She will truly be missed."

4/29/2013 - Quinnipiac Will Keep Women's Volleyball in Title IX Settlement

Quinnipiac University has agreed to keep women's volley ball as a varsity sport, increase scholarships for female athletes and expand opportunities for women as part of a Title IX legal settlement.

The case against Quinnipiac began in 2009 when the university made an announcement that the school was cutting women's volleyball, men's golf, and men's outdoor track and changing competitive cheerleading to a varsity sport. The lawsuit, brought by ACLU, Pullman & Comley, and Sports Equity, claimed that Quinnipiac violated Title IX by failing to provide equal opportunity to women athletes to participate in varsity-level sports. One of the female coaches testified that the school takes names of male student athletes off team rosters and then reinstitutes them in order to make the school's Title IX reports appear to be in compliance with the law. In 2010, U.S. District Judge Stefan Underhill ruled in favor of the women athletes and required Quinnipiac to come into compliance.

Sandra Staub, legal director of the ACLU Foundation of Connecticut, said, "This litigation advanced the cause of equality for female collegiate athletes across the nation, and the settlement will bring tremendous benefits to female athletes at Quinnipiac University." David McQuire, an attorney with the ACLU Foundation of Connecticut, told reporters, "It's not just about the numbers, it's about the quality of benefits the teams receive... We believe Quinnipiac is committed to implementing this and coming up with a first-class non-discriminatory athletic program."

The settlement must still be approved by Judge Underhill.

4/26/2013 - DOJ Issues Guidelines for Medical Examinations of Sexual Assault Victims

New national guidelines on forensic medical examination in sexual assault cases were released by the Department of Justice this Wednesday. In addition to focusing on the victim's emotional and physical wellbeing during medical examinations, the guidelines also clearly state a recommendation that sexual assault victims are offered emergency contraception. In the case that the medical staff has moral objections, the patient must be informed where they can immediately obtain emergency contraception.

The last guidelines were issued in 2004 and were mostly focused on criminal prosecution. The new guidelines [PDF] prioritize the victim's emotional and physical needs over criminal prosecution. Bea Hanson, the director of the Justice Department's Office on Violence Against Women, cites this shift in priority as a means to help the victim and law enforcement better collaborate. "Research shows that once victims get support, they're more likely to cooperate with the criminal justice system," Hanson said.

A former investigator of sex crimes for the Phoenix Police Department, Sergeant Jim Markey, described the new guidelines as "long overdue." He explained, "What this does is this allows workers in the trenches, those victim advocates, those detectives and nurses, to go to the decision makers and leaders in their communities and say: 'You know what? Here are the standards. We need the resources to provide the minimum standards that are in this protocol.'"

4/26/2013 - Bill to Expand Abortion Access in Peace Corps Introduced

On Thursday, Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) introduced a bill that would extend insurance coverage for abortion in cases of rape or incest to Peace Corps volunteers. Currently only paid Peace Corps staff have this coverage, forcing Peace Corps volunteers who are assaulted to pay for abortion procedures out of pocket. The bill, titled the "Peace Corps Equity Act" is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). Currently there is no sponsor in the House.

In a press release, Lautenberg said "We must not stand idly by while Peace Corps volunteers continue to be subjected to this gross inequity in their health care coverage. Peace Corps volunteers choose to provide a valuable public service despite inherent risks to their safety, including sexual assault, and it is unacceptable that their own country restricts their access to care. My legislation would ensure that Peace Corps volunteers don't have to forfeit their rights or jeopardize their health when they volunteer to help underserved populations throughout the world."

A spokesperson for the Peace Corps, Shira Kramer, said in a statement that the corps supports the bill to create changes that "provides female volunteers with the same rights and protections as many of their female colleagues."

4/26/2013 - Jenny Yang Confirmed for EEOC

Late last night, Congress approved the nomination of Jenny Yang as a commissioner to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

In her role as partner in the class action law firm Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll, Yang was responsible for some of the biggest sex discrimination cases in recent years. Yang was one of the lawyers representing 1.6 million women in the class action case Wal-Mart Stores Inc. v. Dukes. In 2011, the case was dismissed by the Supreme Court. The case was the largest sex-discrimination class-action suit in history. Yang was also part of the class action Beck v. Boening Company in Washington. The case was settled for $72 million in 2004.

Wade Henderson, the president of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, applauded the decision in a press statement. He said, "Throughout her career, Jenny Yang has shown dedication to using the law to ensure equal opportunity in employment for all Americans. Her work at the Department of Justice, as a federal judicial law clerk, in private practice, and at the National Employment Law Project make an EEOC appointment a natural fit for her abilities... We are confident in Yang's ability to serve our nation well through thoughtful and deliberate enforcement of employment discrimination protections and equal employment opportunity programs."

4/24/2013 - Eden Foods Suing Obama Administration, Facing Boycott

Eden Foods, a popular supplier of organic food items, has filed a lawsuit against the Obama administration over contraceptive coverage under the Affordable Care Act. The Michigan-based company says that the contraception clause of the Affordable Care Act violates religious freedom. In the words of Eden's lawsuit, the clause "attacks and desecrates a foremost tenet of the Catholic Church" where the use of contraception is sinful. In the words of Michael Potter, the CEO of the company, "The government is just walking on the rights of companies and individuals who are trying to exercise their lives consistent with their conscience." Potter wrote to the Huffington Post to say he did not intend to block health care access for his employees.

The lawsuit is inspiring activity on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, with many former fans vowing to boycott Eden's products and encouraging their friends and followers to do the same. Some grocery stores that carry Eden Foods products are considering canceling their orders. Potter said the amount of negative feedback was "certainly alarming." Although the majority of reactions have been negative, some customers have contacted the company to voice their support of the lawsuit.

Eden Foods joins a long list of companies suing the administration over the mandate. Other companies that have sued include Dominoes, Hobby Lobby, and more. Other companies, such as Universal Orlando, have said they will drop insurance coverage for their part-time employees so they do not have to comply with Obamacare.

4/24/2013 - ENDA to be Introduced in Congress Thursday

Both the House and the Senate are expected to reintroduce The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) this Thursday. In the House, ENDA will be introduced by Representative Jared Polis (D-CO), an openly gay member of the House. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) will be introducing the Senate version of ENDA. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act would ban discrimination by employers based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

While the number of co-sponsors in the House is yet to be determined, the Senate version has five original sponsors: Senator Merkley, Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL), Senator Susan Collins (R-ME); and Tom Harkin (D-IA), the Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

ENDA legislation has been introduced in every Congressional session since 1994 except one. According to the Center for American Progress, only 21 states and the District of Columbia prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, and only 16 and the District prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity.

"The bottom line is no worker in America should be fired or denied a job based on who they are. Discrimination is wrong. Period. And I think the Senate is ready to take that stand," said Senator Merkley (D).

4/24/2013 - Building Collapse in Bangladesh Kills Over 100

An eight story building in Bangladesh collapsed on Wednesday morning, killing at least over 100 people. The death toll is still rising.

The building in the suburb of Savar, outside of the capital Dhaka housed five garment factories as well as a shopping center. An official appointed to give information about those missing or hurt told Reuters that 96 people were confirmed dead and at least 1,000 were injured. Firefighters said that they believed over 2,000 people were in the building at the time of the collapse. The Daily Ittefaq, a local paper, reports that the death toll is over 100, and the government has declared Thursday a national day of mourning.

Mohammad Asaduzzaman of the local police station told reporters that a crack had been detected on Tuesday and the factory owners were given a warning not to allow their workers in the building. However, factory owners either ignored or never received the warning. "There were some crack at the second floor, but my factory was on the fifth floor," said Muhammad Anisur Rahman, a factory owner. "The owner of the building told our floor manager that it is not a problem and so you can open the factory." Another worker said that factory owners told their workers they had examined the crack and "not to worry."

Outrage over the conditions of garment factories in Bangladesh gained international headlines in November of 2012 when 112 workers died during a fire in a factory that was producing clothes for Walmart and other Western retailers that an official investigation ruled that the fire was deliberately started. In addition to being a deliberate act, the investigation determined that up to nine officials prevented workers from leaving the building and even padlocked exits.

The investigation also found severe evidence of negligence on behalf of the factory owner, Delwar Hossain. Hossain had originally denied that the factory was unsafe, however the factory's fire certificate had expired before the fire. In addition, the building only had permission to be three stories high but was in fact nine and lacked sufficient emergency exits.

4/23/2013 - Kansas Governor Signs Anti-Abortion Bill into Law

On Friday, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback (R) signed an anti-abortion bill into law that defines life as beginning at fertilization.

The measure requires that abortion providers supply women with a list of organizations that provide abortion alternatives, prevents any abortion facility from receiving state funding or tax credits, and requires doctors to provide patients with medically inaccurate information. In addition, it will define life as beginning at the moment of fertilization in the state-s constitution. The bill passed in the state legislature earlier this month by a wide margin in both chambers.

Before signing the bill into law, Governor Brownback wrote "JESUS + Mary" in his notes as captured in an Associated Press photograph. Brownback continued in his notes and in his oral statements that this bill would create a "culture of life' in Kansas.

4/23/2013 - BSA Proposal Would Allow Gay Youth, But Not Adults

The Boy Scouts of America have proposed to partially lift the ban that excludes gay members from service. The proposal would admit gay youth, but would still continue to bar adult troop leaders. It is a revision to a BSA proposal made in January that would have allowed local troops to decide whether to accept gay members. Unveiled last Friday, the new proposal must go before roughly 1,400 voting members of the BSA's National Council. The council will vote over the week of May 20th during its annual meeting in Texas.

Gay-rights advocacy groups are criticizing the current proposal as incomplete. Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign asked "What message does this resolution send to the gay Eagle Scout who, as an adult, wants to continue a lifetime of Scouting by becoming a troop leader?"

Some conservative groups went on the defensive saying that the ban should remain in its entirety. "The policy is incoherent," said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council. "The proposal says, in essence, that homosexuality is morally acceptable until a boy turns 18 - then, when he comes of age, he's removed from the Scouts."

The BSA anticipates backlash from many long-term members of the organization and estimate that between 100,000 and 350,000 members would leave the organization should the proposal pass.

4/22/2013 - FL House Passes Controversial Abortion Restrictions

The Florida House of Representatives passed an abortion measure last Thursday that would outlaw abortion based on the sex or race of the fetus. HB 845, "Termination of Pregnancy Based on Sex or Race of Unborn Child," passed on what anti-choice activists have declared "Right to Life" day on a vote of 71 to 44.

The bill's sponsor, Representative Charles Van Zant (R) from Keystone Heights, who is white, stated that abortion groups target black women. "In America alone - without the Nazi Holocaust, without the Ku Klux Klan - Planned Parenthood and other abortionists have reduced our black population by more than 25 percent since 1973," Van Zant told the House.

Despite Van Zant's assertion that the legislation was to prevent what he called "discriminatory targeting," many black Representatives were offended during the debate and a few even left the proceedings. Representative Barbara Watson (D) of Miami chose to leave. She later told the Huffington Post, "I don't appreciate anyone trying to explain what any other ethnic group's lifestyle is and what they do, when you really don't have any authority to interpret it. I think the women and people of color in that chamber deserve an apology from him, but I don't know that it would actually change his point of view."

4/22/2013 - Global Heroes Honored in LA

An Afghan rapper. The founder of the first primary school for girls in a Kenyan village. A trailblazing member of Congress who fights to create an AIDS-free generation. An advocate for women's and children's rights and empowerment.
Tonight in Los Angeles, the Feminist Majority Foundation (publisher of Ms.) will award these four women with its 8th annual Global Women's Rights Awards, celebrating their hard-fought accomplishments for girls and women on the world stage.
The rapper--considered to be Afghanistan's first woman at the mic--is Soosan Firooz. Though facing death threats, she continues to use music to speak out against the injustices and violence faced by women and girls in Afghanistan. Through her performance and bravery, Soosan has brought attention to the need for peace-building in Afghanistan. Check out a video report on her.

The school founder is Kakenya Ntaiya, a tireless advocate for the education and empowerment of girls. The first woman in her Kenyan village of Enoosaen to leave and attend college in the U.S., she returned to her homeland in 2009 to establish The Kakenya Center for Excellence, which finally allowed girls in her village to attend primary school there. National Geographic has honored Kakenya as an Emerging Explorer and CNN named her one of its CNN Heroes. Check out her wonderful TEDX talk.

The congressperson is Rep.Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), a leading feminist in the House and a critical voice for the worldï¿½s women and girls, who remain disproportionately affected by the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. Lee conceived of and co-authored the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Protection Against Transmission of HIV for Women and Youth Act.

And the advocate for women's and children's human rights is Cheryl Saban, who was recently a member of the U.S. delegation to the 57th U.N. Commission on the Status of Women and was appointed by President Obama to be the U.S. representative to the 67th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Saban--a psychologist, author and philanthropist--has just announced a groundbreaking partnership between UN Women and her Women's Self Worth Foundation to work for women's empowerment and gender equality.

We'll be live-tweeting from the event tonight @msmagazine under the hashtag #fmfgala. Join us for a discussion with these amazing women and FMF president Eleanor Smeal!

4/19/2013 - ND Judge Overturns Medical Abortion Ban

A North Dakota Judge has overturned a 2011 law that restricted drug-induced abortions yesterday, citing it as unconstitutional. East Central Judicial District Judge Wickham Corwin stated that, "I remain convinced that a woman's reproductive rights must be protected under the state constitution and must be recognized as fundamental," at the end of the three day civil trial.

The legislation, House Bill 1297, outlawed the use of medication for the intent of ending a pregnancy, despite this being a safe and common alternative to surgical abortions. The case was originally brought to court in July of 2011 by the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR), representing the Red River Women's clinic, the only women's clinic in North Dakota currently providing abortion services.

Nancy Northrup, the president and CEO of The Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR), said of the ban, "These efforts to keep North Dakota women from the best available medical care and deny them their right to make their own decisions about their pregnancies, their families, and their futures are not only disingenuous, but wholly unconstitutional."