Neb. Advances Antiabortion Bills; Wis. Panel Approves Family Planning Cuts

May 19, 2011 — The Nebraska Legislature on Wednesday advanced two bills further restricting abortion access in the state: one measure (LB 690) would require parental consent before a minor can receive abortion care and another bill would bar the use of telemedicine to provide medication abortion, the Omaha World-Herald reports.

Lawmakers voted 33-7 to grant preliminary approval for the parental consent bill, which would require a minor to obtain written, notarized permission from a parent or legal guardian before accessing abortion services (Stoddard, Omaha World-Herald, 5/19). The legislation would require a minor to obtain notarized written consent from a grandparent if she provides a signed statement saying that her parents or guardian are abusive toward her. If the minor decides not to have an abortion, she would be deemed emancipated from her parents or guardians so that she would be eligible for public assistance (Women's Health Policy Report, 5/16). Lawmakers rejected an amendment proposed by Sen. Amanda McGill that would have extended Medicaid coverage to pregnant minors who are undocumented immigrants.

Earlier Wednesday, lawmakers voted 36-9 to advance the telemedicine bill (LB 521) (Omaha World-Herald, 5/19). The measure is aimed at blocking Planned Parenthood of the Heartland from replicating a program that uses telemedicine to provide medication abortion services in 16 Iowa clinics. Through the program, a woman seeking abortion care receives an ultrasound and examination from a nurse and then consults with a physician via the Internet on a private computer. If the physician determines that the patient is an appropriate candidate for medication abortion, he or she dispenses the medication remotely by pressing a button that opens a container with the drugs at the patient's location (Women's Health Policy Report, 5/11). The measure would allow felony charges against physicians convicted of violating the requirements, with a punishment of up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine (O'Hanlon, Lincoln Journal Star, 5/18).

Wis. Panel Approves Funding Restrictions for Organizations That Provide Abortion

The Wisconsin Joint Finance Committee on Wednesday voted 12-4 on a measure that would bar the state from distributing family planning grants to Planned Parenthood and other organizations that provide abortion services or refer patients to clinics that provide abortion care, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. According to the Journal Sentinel, the family planning grants are funded with state and federal money that is used to provide primary and preventive health care services, including contraceptive supplies, pregnancy testing, cancer screening and sexually transmitted infection screening. Current state law prohibits the funds from being used for abortion.

The committee also voted to prohibit men from receiving family planning services through the program and to require minors to notify their parents when they seek family planning services. Barring men from the program would require approval from the federal government, and Democrats raised concern that making the change without approval would risk federal funding (Stein, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 5/18). Abortion-rights proponents and Democrats also said the proposal could lead to more unintended pregnancies and scale back preventive health services for low-income women (Bauer, AP/LaCrosse Tribune, 5/18).