Abortion Policy News

The Daily Signal provides comprehensive abortion policy coverage with pro-life reporting and conservative commentary on state abortion laws, Supreme Court decisions, pro-life legislation, abortion clinic regulations, and the cultural battle to defend the unborn and support life-affirming policies.
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    • Opinion

    Increasing Health and Safety Standards for Abortion Clinics Is Reasonable

    The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments this week in a case challenging a Texas law that places commonsense health and safety regulations on abortion clinics and abortion clinic doctors. Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt involves a Texas law, known as H.B. 2, that was passed in response to the conviction of late-term abortionist Kermit…
    Sarah Torre
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    • Opinion

    How Gosnell’s Abortion ‘House of Horrors’ Led to This Week’s Supreme Court Case

    The Supreme Court will hear oral argument in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt this week, a case challenging a Texas law that requires the abortion industry to follow commonsense health and safety regulations. Passage of the Texas bill was spurred by the discovery of Dr. Kermit Gosnell, the now infamous late-term abortionist who ran a…
    Sarah Torre
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    • Opinion

    First Major Abortion Case in Nearly a Decade Will Go Before Supreme Court

    On Wednesday, the Supreme Court will hear oral argument in the first major abortion case in nearly a decade. In the case Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, the Supreme Court will consider whether Texas’ H.B. 2 law—a commonsense reform intended to increase women’s health and safety—meets the test laid out in prior cases. Texas passed…
    Elizabeth Slattery
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    • Opinion

    What John Oliver Got Wrong About Abortion Laws

    On Sunday, late night comedian John Oliver spent 16 minutes of his HBO show cracking jokes about abortion in a crass attempt to satirize reasonable state laws requiring abortion clinics to follow minimum health and safety standards. The brunt of Oliver’s mocking attack was aimed at a 2013 Texas law that is currently being reviewed…
    Sarah Torre
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    • News

    A 10th State Defunded Planned Parenthood. Why There’s So Much Momentum Now.

    Adding to the momentum to defund abortion giant Planned Parenthood, Ohio Gov. John Kasich signed a bill Sunday that strips $1.3 million in taxpayer money from the organization. Ten states—Wisconsin and Ohio being the most recent—have taken action over the past several months to cut taxpayer dollars from Planned Parenthood. “Not one more penny should go to…
    Leah Jessen
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    • News

    House Panel Issues 3 Subpoenas in Probe of Planned Parenthood

    A select investigative panel of the U.S. House of Representatives has issued subpoenas to a research company, a university, and an abortion provider, saying the organizations failed to cooperate fully with a probe of Planned Parenthood’s practices and procedures related to the distribution of aborted body parts.   “We have been working diligently to acquire information that…
    Leah Jessen
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    • News

    How Scalia’s Death Will Impact Cases on Immigration, Abortion, Religious Liberty

    Look beyond the contentious political rhetoric over confirming his replacement, and it’s clear that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s death during a presidential election cycle will likely change the outcomes of major cases coming before the high court this term. The Supreme Court will review six big cases this term—on immigration, abortion, voting rights, unions,…
    Josh Siegel
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    • News

    Since the Release of Undercover Videos, 8 States Have Defunded Planned Parenthood. Ohio Makes It 9.

    Ohio Gov. John Kasich is expected to sign a bill defunding Planned Parenthood, making Ohio the ninth state to do so since undercover videos exposed the abortion provider’s apparent role in harvesting the body parts of aborted babies. The bill, H.B. 294, ensures that state and certain federal funds are not used to perform or promote…
    Leah Jessen
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    • News

    Indicted Planned Parenthood Videomaker, Releasing New Sting, Wants to ‘Send a Strong Message’

    The pro-life activist behind a series of undercover videos exposing the practices of Planned Parenthood emerged Thursday from court appearances in Texas vowing to continue his fight for unborn children despite being charged with breaking the law through his tactics. “We’re out here to send a strong message that Houston’s children and their body parts…
    Kristiana Mork
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    • News

    Why Is This Sting Celebrated by ‘60 Minutes’ but Not Those Planned Parenthood Videos?

    Investigative tactics featured on CBS News’ “60 Minutes” bear an eerie resemblance to the undercover sting operation of a pro-life activist indicted last week for his role in secretly recorded videos in which Planned Parenthood officials talk about harvesting aborted babies for tissue and organs. A report called “Anonymous Inc.,” which aired Sunday night, focused…
    Leah Jessen
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    • News

    After Facing Questions on Abortion, 2 Obama Judicial Nominees Fail to Advance

    The Senate Judiciary Committee is holding up two of President Barack Obama’s judicial nominees for federal judgeships in Pennsylvania. Robert Colville and John Younge, both nominated for lifetime judicial positions, did not receive a vote at Thursday’s committee meeting. Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said the move was meant to give senators more time to review “their records…
    Philip Wegmann
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    • News

    Ohio Senate Approves Bill Defunding Planned Parenthood

    In a 22-8 vote Wednesday afternoon, the Ohio Senate passed legislation defunding Planned Parenthood and other providers of abortions that are not medically necessary. The bill from the Ohio House, amended by the Senate in the morning, cuts an estimated $1.3 million from Planned Parenthood and directs the funds to approved health care providers that don’t perform…
    Kristiana Mork
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    • Opinion

    Should Courts Be Able to Make Legislative Judgments on Abortion?

    Recently, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, in a case very similar to another one pending before the Supreme Court, issued an opinion blocking the enforcement of a commonsense abortion regulation in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin law, which was passed in 2013, requires abortion providers to have “admitting privileges” at hospitals within 30…
    Tiffany Bates
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    • Opinion

    Pay No Attention to What Planned Parenthood Is Doing Behind the Curtain

    In an astonishing bit of legerdemain, a local grand jury in Harris County, Texas, has refused to indict Planned Parenthood for violating a Texas statute that prohibits the attempted sale of human organs, despite the video evidence to the contrary showing Planned Parenthood doctors and executives discussing organ sales. But the very same grand jury…
    Hans von Spakovsky
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    • News

    Texas Grand Jury Indicts 2 Undercover Filmmakers Who Exposed Planned Parenthood

    A grand jury in Houston indicted two undercover filmmakers who exposed Planned Parenthood’s alleged sale of aborted baby body parts in a series of videos last summer. The news came late Monday in an investigation requested by Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick after the videos surfaced. BREAKING: Harris County grand jury clears Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast…
    Rob Bluey
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    • News

    Poll: Majority of Americans Want Restrictions on Abortion

    A new poll shows that the majority of Americans support restrictions on abortion, including those who describe themselves as pro-choice. A survey conducted by the Marist Institute for Public Opinion and sponsored by the Knights of Columbus found that 8 in 10 Americans, including 66 percent of pro-choice supporters polled, would restrict abortion to the…
    Mariana Barillas
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    • Opinion

    Planned Parenthood Abuses the Law to Stop Dissent

    Last year, a number of academics penned a letter to the Obama administration demanding a criminal RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) investigation into those who disagree with man-made global warming, following the lead of Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. As we wrote at the time, this would be an abuse of the Racketeer Influenced…
    Andrew Kloster
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    • News

    Kansas Governor to End State Planned Parenthood Funding

    Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback announced he intends to terminate state Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood. Kansas will be joining seven other states that have taken action to prevent the nation’s largest abortion provider from receiving taxpayer dollars. “Ensuring the health and safety of Kansans means protecting all Kansans at every stage of life,” Brownback, a…
    Mariana Barillas
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    • News

    12 Key Numbers From Planned Parenthood’s New Annual Report

    Planned Parenthood’s financial profits are on the decline, according to the group’s latest annual report, which showed the group is seeing fewer patients seeking fewer services. While profits and private contributions are waning, government assistance rose by $25.3 million in the past year. “This was definitely a bad year for Planned Parenthood as a business,”…
    Kelsey Bolar
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    • News

    Obamacare Repeal, Planned Parenthood Defunding Bill Will Go to Obama

    For the first time, Congress will send a bill that repeals Obamacare and defunds Planned Parenthood to President Barack Obama’s desk. Republicans used the budget reconciliation process—a fast-track method to avoid a filibuster from Senate Democrats—to pass the Restoring Americans’ Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act earlier this month. The GOP-controlled House will vote on the bill next week. “You can…
    Leah Jessen
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