Bioethics Public Policy Report: December 17, 2024
STATE By State
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has stated that his office will continue to enforce a post-viability ban on abortion following the passage of Amendment 3, which created a “right” to abortion in the state constitution. Bailey says that the wording of Amendment 3 allows for the government to protect the unborn after viability, and parental consent laws will stay in effect. For further information, click here.
An Arizona lawsuit has commenced to declare Arizona’s 15-week abortion ban unconstitutional following the passage of a state constitutional amendment expanding abortion access. The American Civil Liberties Union, Planned Parenthood, and the Center for Reproductive Rights are suing the State, arguing that the law violates the state constitution’s guarantees of access to abortion. For further information, click here.
In California, a woman who de-transitioned following transgender procedures is suing healthcare providers for misdiagnosis of gender dysphoria, leading to her being carelessly prescribed puberty blockers and undergoing a double mastectomy. For further information, click here.
Federal Courts
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case over a Tennessee state law which prohibits transgender surgeries for minors, signaling skepticism as to transgender activists’ legal claims that the law constitutes unlawful discrimination on the basis of sex. While the Court heard the arguments, there was a rally outside where detransitioner Chloe Cole spoke about the dangers of transgender surgeries for minors. For further information, click here, here and here.
The Supreme Court has decided to take up a case to determine whether the work of Catholic Charities is primarily religious after Wisconsin declared them not exempt from employment tax. The arguments are expected to be heard in the spring of 2025. For further information, click here.
A federal court has stopped Morris County, New Jersey, from excluding churches from a historic preservation grant. The churches had been excluded from the grant because of a New Jersey state supreme court ruling which held that such grants to churches violated the state constitution, but the churches, represented by First Liberty, argued that the exclusion constituted religious discrimination. For further information, click here.
national
Republican lawmakers have introduced legislation to Congress to define “man” and “woman” on the basis of biological sex, calling it the “Women’s Bill of Rights” to indicate its necessity to protect women in certain spaces. For further information, click here.
Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri posted a letter addressed to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations warning them not to delete anything in advance of the Trump administration. He specifically address the DOJ’s targeting of pro-life Americans. To read the letter, click here. For further information, click here.
The Biden Administration has backed down from forcing its contraceptive mandate for minors under Title X after Texas challenged the rule. The Department of Health and Human Services had attempted to nullify state laws requiring parental consent to contraceptives. For further information, click here.
international
The Chilean senate passed a law that prevents transgender procedures from being performed on minors. ADF International lauded the passage of the law as setting a precedent for the rest of Latin America in protecting minors from gender ideology. For further information, click here.
The Canadian province of Alberta is considering “possible changes to processes, procedures, oversight, and protections” pertaining to the Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) program. One such proposed change includes “provid[ing] oversight” over the program. Euthanasia in Canada increased nationally by 15.8% last year. For further information, click here and here.
Quebec Premier François Legault is attempting to end all public prayer, having said on the record, “Seeing people praying in the streets, in public parks, is not something we want in Quebec.” Legault voiced concerns of the growing Muslim population as part of the impetus for the move. For further information, click here.
The British government’s ban on puberty blockers for minors will remain in effect indefinitely, according to the Department of Health and Social Care. The ban comes into full effect after studies “found insufficient evidence to support the safety or clinical effectiveness of puberty blockers for adolescents.” For further information, click here.
of note
A CDC study found a 2% decrease in the number of abortions between 2021 and 2022, following the overturning of Roe v. Wade. For further information, click here.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met with Pope Francis at the Vatican to discuss the war in Ukraine and pro-family policies in Hungary. For further information, click here.
Sharing the Resources: If you enjoy receiving the NCBC’s Public Policy Report and would like to support its continued publication, please consider making a donation to the NCBC.
The National Catholic Bioethics Center website is a significant resource for bioethics information. NCBC bioethicists are also on call for consultation twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, at 215-877-2660.
Justin Corman
Justin Corman is a guest editor at the NCBC, and a student at Ave Maria School of Law.