Feb. 2, 2021
When the South Carolina legislature convened on Jan. 12, one issue took priority over any other. Senate Bill 1, the first piece of legislation introduced on the Senate floor, bans most abortions, outlawing the procedure once a doctor can detect a fetal heartbeat around six weeks
except in cases of rape and incest, when there is a fatal fetal anomaly, and when a mother’s life is at risk.
SB 1 cleared the state Senate on Thursday. Now it will head to the South Carolina House, where it will almost certainly pass, before making its way to the desk of Gov. Henry McMaster (R).
Gianforte focuses on pandemic and economy in first State Of The State address
MTN News
and last updated 2021-01-29 01:03:51-05
Governor Greg Gianforte gave his first State Of The State speech on Thursday evening, which focused heavily on the COVID-19 pandemic but also promised major actions to boost the economy and reduce government regulations.
Gianforte, a Republican, highlighted several heroes of the pandemic, including a Great Falls doctor who lived in his camper to protect his family after treating patients, service workers who went the extra mile, hospitals like Billings Clinic that operated child-care facilities and other businesses and individuals who helped neighbors during tough times.
The Montana House, on mostly party-line votes, gave initial approval to four bills to limit access to abortions, as well as legislation that would prohibit transgender women from participating in women s sports and penalize doctors for providing gender-affirming care.
Republicans, who hold a majority in the House and Senate, where the bills head after another House vote likely Tuesday, have made clear one of their priorities this session is to pass bills that have been vetoed in the past by Democratic governors. Three of the abortion bills were vetoed in the 2019 session.
Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte, who took office Jan. 4, is the state s first GOP governor in 16 years. Gianforte does not support abortion, though he has refrained from saying how he will act on any bills before they reach his desk.
Senate Bill 9 or the ‘Born-Alive Infant Protection Act’ became law early Friday morning after Governor Andy Beshear’s window to sign or veto the bill expired.
The bill was sponsored by Third District State Senator Whitney Westerfield, who tells the News Edge, he was thrilled the bill passed, and they did not have to override Governor Beshear’s veto.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem addresses an abortion bill she will discusses in the upcoming state of the state address.
As the nation marks the 48th anniversary of Roe v. Wade and President Trump’s term has come to an end, questions remain about how the former administration had addressed congressional concerns surrounding Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s (PPFA) fetal-tissue practices and its lack of action that ultimately prompted criticism from conservatives.
Roughly a week before Trump left office, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed a rule that would purportedly strengthen requirements for informed consent from mothers, as well as prevent fetal-tissue trafficking in federally funded studies issues raised after HHS terminated in 2018 its contract with a tissue procurer that worked with PPFA.