US federal judge temporarily blocks Idaho ban on out-of-state abortion referrals
A US federal judge ruled on Monday that Idaho cannot enforce a ban on out-of-state abortion referrals, saying that such a prohibition would violate doctors’ First Amendment right to free speech. The block on enforcement will remain in effect while a lawsuit challenging a March letter from Idaho’s Attorney General Raúl Labrador continues. Labrador’s letter [...]
Judge temporarily blocks abortion ban in Iowa as abortion providers' suit proceeds
A district judge in Iowa issued a temporary injunction on the state’s new “fetal heartbeat law” Monday following a suit by abortion providers to block the strict abortion ban, formally known as House File (H.F.) 732. As a result, the law is blocked from taking effect while the lawsuit continues and abortion up to 20 [...]
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed a heartbeat-based abortion ban into law Friday after the bill passed in a marathon special session of the Iowa legislature. The newly enacted law states, “A physician shall not perform an abortion upon a pregnant woman when it has been determined that the unborn child has a detectable fetal heartbeat, [...]
A UN report published this month found that racism from health care providers is likely contributing to higher rates of pregnancy-related deaths among people of African descent in North and South America. The analysis, led by the UN Population Fund (UNPF), made three key findings: 1. Afrodescendent women and girls in the Americas are disadvantaged [...]
In a special late night session Tuesday, the Iowa legislature advanced a bill that would ban abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy. House File 732, known as the “Fetal Heartbeat Bill,” would ban abortions in the state of Iowa as soon as any cardiac activity is detected in the fetus. Such activity can [...]
A Century of Meyer v. Nebraska: The SCOTUS Case that Defined Personal Liberties
June 4 marks the centennial of Meyer v. Nebraska, in which the US Supreme Court commenced its modern role as the guardian of non-economic personal liberties by striking down laws in Nebraska, Iowa, and Ohio that prohibited the teaching of German to elementary school children. Meyer itself remains a vital cornerstone for the protection of [...]
Iowa governor signs bill limiting gender identity and sexual orientation instruction in school
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law on Friday that limits educational instruction related to sexual orientation and gender identity for students through sixth grade. Senate File 496 focuses on education in Iowa, restricting the topics teachers may speak about, as well as removing all books that include “depictions of a sex act” [...]
Explainer: Why Are Republican-Led States Waging War on Drag?
In recent months, more than a dozen American states have sought to restrict or ban drag performances, with many framing these legislative moves as aimed at protecting minors. In this explainer, JURIST unpacks the trend and highlights its worrying implications for free speech. What is drag? Drag is an art form, wherein individuals dressed in [...]
Eight Republicans in the Iowa House of Representatives Tuesday introduced a bill that would ban amend the state constitution and ban same-sex marriage in the state. The amendment would stipulate that “In accordance with the laws of nature and nature’s God, the state of Iowa recognizes the definition of marriage to be the solemnized union [...]
54 Utah forced sterilization program survivors still living: Lancet report
The Lancet medical journal released a report Wednesday revealing that 54 people who underwent Utah’s eugenic sterilization program are still surviving. An estimated 830 people were subjected to the state-sanctioned practice, which started in 1925 and ended in 1970. The report blamed the state’s eugenicists for the introduction of the program. Eugenicists believed that the [...]
