1. Whitmer to veto abortion alternatives, By Valerie Richardson, The Washington Times, July 20, 2022, Pg. A2
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer plans to use her line-item veto to strike more than $20 million from the state budget bill designed to encourage adoption and support pro-life pregnancy facilities, igniting an outcry from abortion foes.
The Democratic governor’s office said she will finish signing Wednesday a $76 billion 2022-23 state budget that omits a half-dozen items passed by the Republican-controlled state legislature, such as a $2 million adoption tax credit and $10 million to promote adoption “as an alternative to abortion.”
Other expenses on the chopping block include $4 million for maternity homes expansion; $3 million for a maternal navigator pilot program; $700,000 for the Real Alternatives pregnancy program, which promotes “childbirth, alternatives to abortion, and grief counseling.”
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“Governor Whitmer supports legislation that provides every possible resource to women who are pregnant, seeking to start a family, or those who aren’t ready yet, but she cannot support aspects of a bill that sends taxpayer dollars to fake health centers that intentionally withhold information from women about their health, bodies, and full reproductive freedom,” the office’s statement said.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/jul/19/gretchen-whitmer-veto-funding-adoption-alternative/
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2. House passes same-sex marriage bill in retort to high court, By Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press, July 20, 2022
The U.S. House overwhelmingly approved legislation Tuesday to protect same-sex and interracial marriages amid concerns that the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade abortion access could jeopardize other rights criticized by many conservatives.
In a robust but lopsided debate, Democrats argued intensely and often personally in favor of enshrining marriage equality in federal law, while Republicans steered clear of openly rejecting gay marriage. Instead leading Republicans portrayed the bill as unnecessary amid other issues facing the nation.
Tuesday’s election-year roll call, 267-157, was partly political strategy, forcing all House members, Republicans and Democrats, to go on the record.
https://apnews.com/article/abortion-race-and-ethnicity-gay-rights-marriage-social-issues-77ec6e2a60b5990ceaf7c396fee42016
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3. English Grandmother arrested for praying near abortion clinic wins religious freedom challenge, By Madeleine Teahan, Catholic News Agency, July 20, 2022, 1:11 AM
A 76 year-old English grandmother who was fined for praying near to an abortion clinic has successfully overturned her financial penalty, but human rights campaigners still fear that the initial fine represents “a worrying trend in law enforcement” regarding certain beliefs.
Rosa Lalor, from Liverpool UK was issued the fine during the country’s lockdown in February 2021, after a policeman questioned why she was out doors and she replied that she was “walking and praying”.
The officer involved said that this was not “a reasonable excuse” and that she was in fact protesting and so she was then arrested, detained and fined.
As a result of a legal challenge, supported by the organisation ADF International, Merseyside Police have now conceded that Lalor should not have been detained due to the fact she was firmly within her rights to silently pray while out walking and that her actions were reasonable and acceptable under Covid-19 regulations.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251830/english-grandmother-arrested-for-praying-near-abortion-clinic-wins-religious-freedom-challenge
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4. Mississippi clinic ends challenge of near-ban on abortion, By Emily Wagster Pettus and Leah Willingham, Associated Press, July 19, 2022, 11:50 PM
The Mississippi abortion clinic that was at the center of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade ended a lawsuit Tuesday in which it had sought to block the state from enforcing a law that bans most abortions.
Jackson Women’s Health Organization dropped its litigation a day after clinic owner Diane Derzis told The Associated Press that she sold the facility and had no intention to reopen it, even if a state court allowed her to do so.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mississippi-clinic-drops-challenge-of-near-ban-on-abortion/2022/07/19/d7275b9e-078e-11ed-80b6-43f2bfcc6662_story.html
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5. Catholic Medical Association Challenges HHS Directive on ‘Emergency’ Abortions, Catholic health care treats two patients with every pregnancy, said Marie Hilliard, co-chair of the CMA’s Ethics Committee. Abortion, she added, is not necessary., By Katie Yoder, Catholic News Agency, July 19, 2022
The largest association of Catholic individuals in health care is condemning the Biden administration for ordering health-care providers to perform abortions in emergency situations under federal law.
Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Xavier Becerra sent a letter instructing providers to perform abortions in emergencies — regardless of state law — under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) on July 11.
“Catholic health-care agencies and providers are committed to the same goals intended by EMTALA,” Marie Hilliard, co-chair of the Catholic Medical Association‘s Ethics Committee, told CNA. “They are dedicated to providing the highest standard of care to both the mother and her unborn child without directly compromising either one in the process.”
She added: “In fact, by the consistently high quality of care it is known to provide, Catholic health care has demonstrated that both can be beautifully served.”
Enacted in 1986, EMTALA ensures that every person who enters an emergency room is treated and stabilized, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. Now, the Biden administration says, it includes abortion.
https://www.ncregister.com/cna/catholic-medical-association-challenges-hhs-directive-on-emergency-abortions
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6. Former Yakima bishop reprimanded by pope for ‘mistakes’, By The Pillar, July 18, 2022
The Vatican has issued a formal reprimand to the former bishop of the Diocese of Yakima, Washington, according to media reports confirmed to The Pillar by diocesan officials.
Bishop Carlos Sevilla, SJ, was formally reprimanded by the Vatican over his handling of allegations of clerical sexual abuse in the eastern Washington diocese. Sevilla led the Yakima diocese from 1996 until his retirement in 2011, when he was succeeded by Bishop Joseph Tyson.
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But while Sevilla has confirmed he received a formal rebuke from Pope Francis for “mistakes” he made in office, it has not been disclosed publicly, or to the Yakima diocese, what those mistakes were, and what the Vatican-ordered investigation actually concluded. The unspecified rebuke raises new questions about the use of secrecy in Vatican investigations into bishops accused of negligence or abuse of office.
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Sevilla’s case points to unresolved questions about the prospect of transparency in the Vatican’s handling of complaints against bishops — especially as Vos estis lux mundi is now undergoing an internal Vatican review, after its initial three-year experimental period.
Several prominent experts and abuse survivors advocates told The Pillar in June that there remains room for improvement in its text and application.
Despite repeated calls for more transparency in the process created by Vos estis, which usually sees accusations against a bishop investigated by the local metropolitan archbishop, the Vatican rarely, if ever, confirms the details of such cases, and is often reluctant to confirm an investigation into a bishop is even underway — a procedure markedly different from the public and transparent handling of allegations against priests used in the United States.
https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/former-yakima-bishop-reprimanded
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7. Judge blocks enforcement of West Virginia abortion ban, By Leah Willingham, Associated Press, July 18, 2022
A judge in West Virginia’s capital blocked enforcement of the state’s 150-year-old abortion ban Monday, opening the door for abortions to resume in the state, at least for now.
Kanawha County Circuit Court Judge Tera L. Salango granted the Women’s Health Center of West Virginia a preliminary injunction against the 1800s-era ban, saying that in the absence of action by the court, the state’s sole abortion clinic and its patients, “especially those who are impregnated as a result of a rape or incest, are suffering irreparable harm.”
Attorney General Patrick Morrisey decried the ruling, calling it “a dark day for West Virginia.” He said his office will appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court.
https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-west-virginia-charleston-government-and-politics-eccf3ac01cea7d51ea6dac5792520a48
__________________________________________________________TCA Media Monitoring provides a snapshot from national newspapers and major Catholic press outlets of coverage regarding significant Catholic Church news and current issues with which the Catholic Church is traditionally or prominently engaged. The opinions and views expressed in the articles do not necessarily reflect the views of The Catholic Association. |
