Bioethics Public Policy Report: October 22, 2024
STATE By State
In Montana, the “Right to Abortion Initiative,” slated for the ballot in November, just received $5 million in funding, with the total amount raised now at $15 million. The boost in funding is expected to make the ballot initiative a major point of contention in the upcoming elections. For further information, click here.
In Florida, there are two lawsuits ongoing over the Amendment 4 ballot initiative, which, if passed, would effectively repeal Florida’s pro-life laws. The group “Floridians Protecting Freedom” is suing the Surgeon General, Joseph Ladapo, for threatening television stations with litigation for airing the group’s advertisements in favor of Amendment 4. On the other hand, former Florida Supreme Court Justice Alan Lawson filed suit on behalf of those in opposition to Amendment 4, asserting widespread fraud with respect to the signatures collected in order to get the measure on the ballot. For further information, click here.
Catholic bishops in Florida are urging a “no” vote on Amendment 3, which would legalize recreational marijuana for persons 21 and over. The bishops noted that the legalization of marijuana would “create[] the impression that it is safe to use,” whereas the adverse, long-term effects of the use of marijuana render its use gravely sinful. To read the statement, click here..
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing a North Texas doctor for violating a law prohibiting “gender transitions” for minors. The suit alleges such treatments for over two dozen minors in violation of the law. For further information, click here.
In a 6-1 decision, the Georgia supreme court has reinstated the “heartbeat law,” banning abortions after six weeks. Reinstatement will apply as the appeal of the county court judge’s decision goes up through the appeal process. For further information, click here.
Ten scientists are suing Sage Publications in Ventura County, California, for retracting three scientific articles written on the dangers of the chemical abortion drug, mifepristone. The scientists, represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom, claim that the retraction was politically motivated, taking place just one month before the Supreme Court heard arguments for the case challenging the Food and Drug Administration’s rules on mifepristone. For further information, click here and here.
Federal Courts
The Apache Stronghold is suing the United States to preserve Oak Flat in Arizona’s Tonto National Forest from destruction, with the support of U.S. bishops and the Knights of Columbus. The Apache, represented by the Becket law group, are arguing that this violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act as well as an 1852 treaty that kept the land protected. For further information, click here and here.
The Supreme Court has declined to hear oral arguments as to whether hospitals in the State of Texas are required to perform emergency room abortions under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). The Texas abortion ban will stay in effect as litigation proceeds, including for emergency rooms. For further information, click here.
Another pro-life activist from Alabama, a 33-year-old mother, was sentenced to three and a half years to prison for violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. She plans to appeal the decision. For further information, click here.
national
A black market is emerging nationwide for chemical abortion pills from Mexico and India, according to a report by the American Life League. The report gives evidence of the existence of groups distributing such drugs illegally. To read the report, click here. For further information, click here.
international
In Mexico, Cardinal Francisco Robles Ortega, archbishop of Guadalajara, has denounced the decriminalization of abortion up to 12 weeks. He has called it the “murder of the innocents” and called for the protection of human life, instead. For further information, click here.
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) reported that, in India, “Individuals have been killed, beaten, and lynched by vigilante groups, religious leaders have been arbitrarily arrested, and homes and places of worship have been demolished.” The Indian government has rejected the claims of the USCIRF, calling them “biased” and “malicious.” For further information, click here.
Catholic bishops in Norway have joined with over 30 other religious groups in an Ecumenical Declaration on “Gender and Sexual Diversity,” which denounces gender ideology on the bases of Scripture, biology, and respect for children. To read the statement, click here.
In the United Kingdom, a British army veteran has been convicted for praying silently in a so-called “buffer zone” outside of an abortion clinic. He was given a conditional discharge, which reserves sentencing for future offenses, and a fine of £9,000. For further information, click here.
Italy has criminalized citizens going abroad to seek surrogacy services, which is being criticized as a “medieval” measure by the Italian government. For further information, click here.
In France, Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris criticized the French government for the state firing of a Catholic school’s principal for “breaching secularism” by offering confessions to students and inviting a bishop to speak to students. For further information, click here.
of note
A recent CDC study published this month estimates that about 3.3% of high school students identify as transgender, and 2.2% of students are estimated to be “questioning” their “gender identity.” The study suggests a need for “continued research on the school-based strategies” to further gender ideology in schools. To read the study, click here.
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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.