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Virginia passes ultrasound bill; Pennsylvania poised to vote; will Rhode Island be next?
By now, most everyone's heard of the Virginia bill that would have mandated invasive transvaginal ultrasounds for women before they can have an abortion. Thanks to a huge public outcry, the most invasive aspect of the bill was removed. But the amended ultrasound bill will still be signed by the Governor, and women across Virginia will be forced to have an ultrasound, and doctors will be required to offer women the option of seeing the ultrasound and listening for a heartbeat - even in the case of a wanted pregnancy that went awry. (See article: 'No Cause for Celebration.') And now Pennsylvania's House of Representatives is poised to vote on an ultrasound bill as well - which includes the more invasive procedure. Activists around the state are demanding that the Governor veto the bill.
Will Rhode Island be next? For many years, anti-choice legislators have introduced their own version of an ultrasound bill, and this year is no different. House Bill 7205 would require that a doctor or technician perform an ultrasound before a woman can consent to an abortion, explain the results, display the images, and provide a detailed medical description - whether the woman wants to hear it or not. Stay tuned for action alerts, and help RI NOW stop this anti-choice, anti-woman bill from passing in Rhode Island. |
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RI NOW and allies push to end gender-rating in RI health insurance
Did you know that, in Rhode Island, Blue Cross Blue Shield is allowed to charge women significantly higher premiums than men in individually purchased health plans? And that small group rates are higher if a small company has women employees? RI NOW and a wide range of organizations voiced their support to eliminate gender rating as an industry standard in the state's individual and small group health care plans in House and Senate committee hearings on 2/27 and 2/28.
While gender-rating as an industry practice will be banned as part of national health care reform in 2014, pending Supreme Court challenges create uncertainty as to whether or not the federal law will be fully implemented. Rhode Island shouldn't take any chances, and ban gender discrimination NOW.
Representative Donna Walsh (D-36) and Senator Susan Sosnowski (D-37) sponsored H7151 and S2208 so that Rhode Island can join the majority of other New England states to end the practice of basing health insurance premiums on gender. Please thank them for their leadership, thank the bill's co-sponsors, and urge members of the House Corporations Committee and the Senate Health and Human Services Committee to support this important legislation.
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The theme for Women's History Month in 2012 is Women's Education and empowerment. Although women now outnumber men in US colleges and universities, this gender gap is very recent. The equal opportunity to learn owes much to Title IX, enacted in 1977, and is taken for granted by most young women today. For more on Women's History Month, visit the National Women's History Project. To learn about what is happening around the globe for International Women's Day, click here. And, don't forget to check out some of the special events happening around Rhode Island during Women's History Month. |
