A guide to covering abortion issues

Posted on October 24th, 2005

Archived in Abortion & birth control, Medical ethics

U.S. Supreme Court

JUSTICES
Religion gained the spotlight in the discussion of Supreme Court justices this fall when President Bush talked about White House Chief Counsel Harriet Miers’ evangelical Christian faith. Miers withdrew, but the debate remains. If Alito is confirmed, the Supreme Court will have five Catholic justices for the first time in history.
• See a resource page on the Alito nomination from the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

CURRENT CASES
The court will hear oral arguments Nov. 30 on two major abortion cases.

AYOTTE V. PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND
Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood of Northern New England et al. asks whether New Hampshire’s parental notification law is constitutional.
• See Northwestern University’s Medill resource page on the Ayotte case. It includes contact information for all the attorneys, links to previous decisions and a background article.
• Read a legal backgrounder from the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. The Pew Forum is sponsoring a forum Nov. 29 to discuss the issues and impact of the case.
• Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood is a web site with legal background on the case. It is sponsored by Planned Parenthood, the American Civil Liberties Union and other organizations that favor abortion rights.
• NARAL Pro-choice America, which filed an amicus brief in the Ayotte case, offers a summary of the case with a link to a six-page report.

OPERATION RESCUE V. NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR WOMEN
Operation Rescue v. National Organization for Women concerns the use of federal anti-racketeering laws to prosecute violent anti-abortion protesters. The court consolidated two cases into one when it agreed in June 2005 to review them –Scheidler, Joseph, et al. v. National Organization for Women, Inc., et al. and Operation Rescue v. NOW.
• See Northwestern University’s Medill resource page on the case. It includes contact information for all the attorneys, links to previous decisions and a background article.
• The American Center for Law and Justice, which filed a petitioner’s brief in the case, has a resource page on the case.
• See the National Organization for Women’s resource page on the case.

Background

• The anti-abortion group Americans United for Life offers a snapshot of U.S. Supreme Court decisions involving abortion.
• Planned Parenthood Federation of America, an advocate of abortion rights, provides a fact sheet on U.S. Supreme Court rulings on abortion and reproductive rights, 1965-2003.
• Read the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which includes links to Supreme Court and Circuit Court cases that have cited Roe v. Wade.

REPORTS AND STUDIES
• The Alan Guttmacher Institute has this overview on abortion in the United States.

POLLS
• The web site PollingReport.com has a variety of polls on abortion.
• The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life conducted a poll on what Americans believe should make up the U.S. Supreme Court’s agenda. According to the poll, which was released Aug. 3, 2005, people surveyed said the rights of terror suspects were almost as important to them as the issue of abortion.

ARTICLES
• Read a Nov. 7, 2005, Washington Post story about the possibility of the Supreme Court having a Catholic majority.
• Read a May 23, 2005, Associated Press story on MSNBC’s web site on the Supreme Court agreeing to hear arguments on parental notification for minors who want abortions.
• An Aug. 23, 2005, USA Today story looks at how the abortion battle is playing out. The story also includes a poll.
• An Oct. 4, 2005, NBC News article on MSNBC’s web site explores whether a new Supreme Court will have any effect on Roe v. Wade.
• Read an Oct. 6, 2005, Reuters article on CNN’s web site on a second member of an FDA advisory panel resigning over the FDA commissioner’s decision to delay final approval of over-the-counter sales of the “morning after” pill Plan B.

Congress

Twenty-eight bills were passed or introduced this congressional session that dealt wholly or in part with abortion. Two bills passed by the House and Senate dealt with withholding U.S. funds to U.N. population control programs that allow abortions.

The House passed bills preventing the transportation of minors across state lines to obtain abortions, and an appropriations bill that restricts the use of federal funds for abortions except in cases of rape and incest or when the mother’s health is endangered. It does not prohibit the use of state, local or private funds to pay for abortions.

Other bills introduced in the House and Senate include: providing parental notification and intervention in cases where minors are seeking an abortion; providing for hospitals to give emergency contraception to rape victims; declaring that human life begins at conception; and forcing the FDA to withdraw approval of the so-called “morning after” pill RU-486.

Federal Regulations

On Aug. 26, the FDA commissioner announced he was delaying approval to allow over-the-counter sales of another “morning after” contraceptive, Plan B. The decision caused two members of the FDA’s Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee to resign in protest.
• Read the Aug. 26, 2005, FDA statement.
• A Sept. 1, 2005 Washington Post article looks at the controversy over the FDA’s decision to delay approval on over-the-counter sales of Plan B.

State Legislatures

CURRENT LEGISLATION
According to Stateline.org, more than 500 bills aimed primarily at curbing abortion rights were introduced this year in state legislatures. Among those passed:
• Arkansas, Georgia and Minnesota require that women who want an abortion either be told about fetal pain or offered anesthesia to help eliminate pain to the fetus.
• In Mississippi, some abortion procedures can only be performed in hospitals or ambulatory surgical centers.
• Arkansas and Idaho joined 33 other states in passing laws requiring parental consent for minors seeking an abortion. Courts have struck down such laws in nine other states, and New Hampshire’s measure goes before the Supreme Court in November. A parental notification initiative is on the ballot next year for California voters.
• Maine, Alaska, California, Hawaii, Washington, New Hampshire and New Mexico passed laws allowing the so-called “morning after pill” to be obtained without a prescription. Massachusetts’ governor vetoed a similar measure in his state, and New York’s governor is considering vetoing such a bill as well.

STATE BY STATE INFORMATION
• The National Conference of State Legislatures offers a rundown of the status of parental notification laws around the country.
• The Alan Guttmacher Institute’s state center offers state-by-state information on abortion laws. The institute is a nonprofit organization focused on sexual and reproductive health research, policy analysis and public education.
• The Center for Reproductive Rights, which favors abortion rights, offers this overview on state legislative trends.

National sources

AGAINST ABORTION
• Deirdre McQuade is director of planning and information for the Pro-Life Secretariat of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Contact 202-541-3070.
• Richard Land is president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission and a frequent commentator on abortion and politics. Contact through Jill Martin, 615-782-8417, jmartin@erlc.com.
• Jay Sekulow is head of the American Center for Law and Justice, a law firm that works to end abortion. Contact 757-226-2489.
• Karen Cross is political director of the National Right to Life Committee in Washington, D.C. Contact 202-626-8800, NRLC@nrlc.org.
• Tony Perkins is president of the Family Research Council, which is active in pushing anti-abortion legislation. Contact Amber Hildebrand, 202-393-2100.
• Wendy Wright is executive vice president of Concerned Women for America. Contact 202-488-7000.
• Randall Terry is founder of Operation Rescue and president of the Society for Truth and Justice. Contact Christian Communication Network, 202-546-0054, info@maranatha.tv.
• Judie Brown is president and co-founder of American Life League in Virginia, which promotes anti-abortion legislation. Contact Amber Dolle, 703-690-2510, adolle@all.org.
• Frederica Mathewes-Green is a columnist and Orthodox Christian who is against abortion. She is author of Real Choices: Listening to Women; Looking for Alternatives to Abortion (Conciliar Press, 1997). Contact Frederica@aol.com.
• Dr. Byron C. Calhoun is president of the American Association of Pro Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists. He is also a member of the department of OB/Gyn, F. Edward School of Medicine at Madigan Army Medical Center. Contact 616-546-2639, byron.calhoun@nw.amedd.army.mil.
• The Rev. Paul T. Stallsworth is president of the Taskforce of United Methodists on Abortion and Sexuality and editor of Lifewatch. He lives in Morehead City, N.C. Contact 252-726-2175.

FOR ABORTION RIGHTS
• Alexander C. Sanger, grandson of reproductive rights activist Margaret Sanger, is chairman of the International Planned Parenthood Council. He wrote Beyond Choice: Reproductive Freedom in the 21st Century (Public Affairs, 2004). Contact acsanger@ippfwhr.org.
• The ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project believes reproductive freedom is a core civil liberty and works to ensure that everyone has access to reproductive health care. Contact public education coordinator Lorraine Kenny, 212-549-2634, lkenny@aclu.org. See a list of ACLU offices across the country.
• Elizabeth Arndorfer is director of the Proactive Policy Institute of NARAL Pro-Choice America, formerly the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League. Contact 202-973-3032.
• Debra Ness is president of the National Partnership for Women and Families, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to promote quality health care for women, including access to abortion. Contact Myra Clark-Siegel, director of communications, 202-986-2600, mcs@nationalpartnership.org.
• The Alan Guttmacher Institute is a nonprofit organization focused on sexual and reproductive health research, policy analysis and public education. Press contact is Rebecca Wind at 212-248-1953, rwind@guttmacher.org.
• Planned Parenthood Federation of America fights against legislation that limits access to abortions. Contact Erin Libit, 202-973-4883.
• Ann Stone heads Republicans for Choice in Alexandria, Va., which says its aim is to remove politics from the abortion debate. Contact 703-212-0890, gop4choice@erols.com.
• The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice works to preserve reproductive rights. Contact its president, the Rev. Carlton W. Veazey, who founded the coalition’s Black Church Initiative, through communications director Marjorie Signer, 202-628-7700 ext. 12.
• Frances Kissling is president of Catholics for a Free Choice. Contact 202-986-6093.
• Lois Backus is executive director of Medical Students for Choice, a group formed by medical students in 1993 to make sure abortion procedures are taught in medical school. Contact 510-238-5210 ext. 303, lois@ms4c.org.
• Vicki Saporta is executive director of the National Abortion Federation. Contact communications department, 202-667-5881, vsaporta@prochoice.org.

OTHER
• David E. Joseph is director of project development at the Public Conversations Project, where he has facilitated dialogues between people and groups on opposing sides of the abortion debate. See an overview of the PCP’s abortion dialogues. Contact 617-923-1216, djoseph@publicconversations.org. Laura Chasin, PCP’s founder and president of the board, has facilitated dialogues with Boston-area leaders on both sides of the abortion debate. Contact lchasin@publicconversations.org.

By religion

• Beliefnet.com posts a chart, “What do world religions believe about abortion?“
• ReligiousTolerance.org offers this overview of various denominations’ stands on abortion.
• The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, an interfaith coalition of 40 groups, lists official resolutions of religious groups that support the right to abortion.

CHRISTIAN
• The U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops has posted a statement supporting the Roman Catholic Church’s stand against abortion.
• The Southern Baptist Convention’s statements on abortion are posted by the web site Johnstonsarchive.net.
• Read the United Methodist Church’s official statement on abortion.
• See the Assemblies of God statement against abortion.
• ReligiousTolerance.org has a listing of statements on abortion from various faith groups and other organizations.

JEWISH
• A white paper from the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice discusses Jewish perspectives on abortion.
• ReligousTolerance.org summarizes Jewish beliefs and thoughts on abortion.
• A February 1999 article looks at anti-abortion Jewish views. The article appears in First Things, a journal on religion, culture and public life.

MUSLIM
• On IslamOnline, a Muslim religious scholar writes about Islam’s stance on abortion.
• The web site ReligiousConsultation.org, which focuses on reproductive issues, offers this essay on Islamic thoughts on abortion.

ABORTION MINISTRIES
• The web site AfterAbortion.org offers a listing of people and ministries around the country that offer post-abortion counseling. The group behind the site is lobbying both political parties to stop “coerced” abortions and support post-abortion therapy.

Regional sources

STATE BY STATE
ABORTION LEGISLATION IN THE STATES
• Search the news service Stateline.Org for the latest stories about abortion activity in the states.
• The National Conference of State Legislatures’ web site includes a page that links to information on state action on abortion.
• The Center for Reproductive Rights provides a rundown of abortion bills making their way through state legislatures.
• The National Organization for Women keeps track of abortion legislation on the state and federal levels.
• NARAL Pro-Choice America, formerly the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, offers a state-by-state look at abortion legislation.

REGIONAL CONTACTS FOR ANTI-ABORTION GROUPS
• Concerned Women for America, whose mission is to bring biblical principles into all levels of public policy, lists state chapters.
• The National Right to Life Committee lists affiliates.

REGIONAL CONTACTS FOR GROUPS THAT PROMOTE ABORTION RIGHTS
• Planned Parenthood lists centers across the nation.
• The American Civil Liberties Union lists offices across the country.
• NARAL Pro-Choice America, formerly the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, offers a list of affiliates around the country.

IN THE NORTHEAST
• Michele Dillon is associate professor of sociology at the University of New Hampshire in Durham. She wrote “The American Abortion Debate: Culture War or Normal Discourse?” for the book The American Culture Wars: Current Contests and Future Prospects (University of Virginia Press, 1996). Contact 603-862-2925, michele.dillon@unh.edu.
• Heidi J. Block is assistant professor of criminal justice at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, where she is an expert in abortion politics. Contact 508-533-0361, hblock@umassd.edu.
• George J. Annas is professor and chairman of the health law department at the Boston University School of Public Health and an expert on abortion policy. Contact 617-638-4626, annasgj@bu.edu.
• Jack M. Balkin is a constitutional law professor at Yale Law School and an expert on abortion policy. He is currently a visiting professor at the New York University School of Law. Contact 212-992-8869, jack.balkin@yale.edu.
• Phillip B. Levine is a professor in the department of economics at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. He wrote Sex and Consequences: Abortion, Public Policy, and the Economics of Fertility (Princeton University Press, 2004). Contact 781-283-2162, plevine@wellesley.edu.
• Laurence H. Tribe is a constitutional lawyer and Harvard University law professor. He wrote the book Abortion: The Clash of Absolutes (W.W. Norton & Co., 1992). Contact 617-495-4621, tribe@law.harvard.edu.

IN THE EAST
• James Trussell is professor of economics and public affairs at Princeton University in New Jersey. He also is associate dean of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and has expertise on the topic of abortion. Contact 609-258-4946, trussell@princeton.edu.
• W. Clyde Wilcox is professor of government at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He wrote “Abortion, Gay Rights and Church-State Issues in the 2000 Campaign” for the book Religion and Liberal Democracy: Piety, Politics and Pluralism (Rowman and Littlefield, 2002). Contact 202-687-5273, wilcoxc@georgetown.edu.
• Faye Ginsburg is professor of anthropology at New York University. She wrote the book Contested Lives: The Abortion Debate in an American Community (University of California Press, 1998). Contact 212-998-8558, faye.ginsburg@nyu.edu.
• Jonathan E. Brockopp is associate professor of religion at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y. He edited the book Islamic Ethics of Life: Abortion, War and Euthanasia (University of South Carolina Press, 2003). Contact 845-758-7207, brockopp@bard.edu.
• Rita J. Simon is professor of justice, law and society for the School of Public Affairs at American University in Washington, D.C. She wrote the book Abortion: Statutes, Policies and Public Attitudes the World Over (Praeger Publishers, 1998). Contact 202-885-2965, rsimon@american.edu.
• Judith Hauptman is professor of Talmud and Rabbinics at Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York. She wrote the article “Abortion: Where We Stand” for the journal United Synagogue Review. Contact 212-678-8000, juhauptman@jtsa.edu.
• N.E. Hull is a law professor at Rutgers University in Camden, N.J., and co-author of Roe v. Wade: The Abortion Rights Controversy in American History (University Press of Kansas, 2001). Contact 856-225-6370, nehhull@camden.rutgers.edu.
• Harvey Kornberg is associate professor of political science at Rider University in Lawrenceville, N.J. He has expertise in abortion politics. Contact 609-896-5365, kornberg@rider.edu.
• Marian Lief Palley is a professor of political science at the University of Delaware in Newark and an expert on abortion politics. Contact 302-831-1938, mpalley@udel.edu.
• Susan Carroll is senior scholar at Rutgers University’s Eagleton Institute of Politics at the Center for American Women and Politics in New Brunswick, N.J. She is an expert on abortion politics. Contact 732-932-9384 ext. 235, scarroll@rci.rutgers.edu.

IN THE SOUTHEAST
• Stanley M. Hauerwas is professor of theological ethics at the Divinity School at Duke University in Durham, N.C. He wrote “Why Abortion Is a Religious Issue” for the book The Church and Abortion: In Search of New Ground for Response (Abingdon Press, 1993). Contact 919-660-3420.
• Abdulaziz A. Sachedina is professor of Islamic studies at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and wrote the entry on abortion for the Encyclopaedia of the Qur’an (Brill Academic Publishers, 2004). Contact 434-924-6725, aas@virginia.edu.
• Alan Abramowitz is a professor of political science at Emory University in Atlanta and an expert on abortion politics. Contact 404-727-0108, polsaa@emory.edu.
• Neal Devins is a professor of law at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va. He is an expert on abortion law. Contact 757-221-3845, nedevi@wm.edu.
• Simone M. Caron is an associate professor at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. She has studied the history of abortion. Contact 336-758-5556, caron@wfu.edu.
• Larry Morehouse is a professor at the University of South Florida in Tampa. His work focuses on public law and policy concerning abortion. Contact 813-974-3640, morehouse@luna.cas.usf.edu.

IN THE SOUTH
• Nancy Maveety is an associate professor of political science at Tulane University in New Orleans. She specializes in women’s issues. Tulane is closed until January 2006 as a result of Hurricane Katrina. However, Maveety can be reached at nolanance@hotmail.com.
• Martha I. Morgan is a Robert S. Vance Professor of Law at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Her area of study is abortion rights. Contact 205-348-1131, mmorgan@law.ua.edu.
• The Rev. Kevin Wildes is president of Loyola University New Orleans. He wrote “The Sanctity of Human Life: Secular Moral Authority, Biomedicine and the Role of the State” for the book Sanctity of Life and Human Dignity (Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1996). Be aware that the university will be closed for the fall semester due to Hurricane Katrina. Contact loynopres@yahoo.com.
• Donald P. Judges is a professor of law at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. He is an expert on the conflict over abortion rights. Contact 479-575-7571, djudges@uark.edu.
• Diane E. Wall is an associate professor of political science at Mississippi State University. She is an expert on women’s issues and the judiciary. Contact 662-325-7864, dew1@ps.msstate.edu.

IN THE MIDWEST
• The Rev. John F. Kavanaugh is a professor of philosophy at St. Louis University. He wrote the book Who Counts as Persons? Human Identity and the Ethics of Killing (Georgetown University Press, 2002). Contact 314-977-3159, kavanasj@slu.edu.
• Charles E. Rice is professor emeritus at the University of Notre Dame law school. He wrote the article “Abortion, Euthanasia and the Need to Build a New Culture of Life” for the Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics & Public Policy (1999). Contact 574-631-5667, Charles.E.Rice.1@nd.edu.
• Richard Duncan is a law professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and an expert on abortion law. Contact 402-472-6044, rduncan2@unl.edu.
• Ellen S. Lazarus is a professor at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and an expert in medical ethics and education and abortion politics. Contact ellen.lazarus@case.edu.
• Daniel C. Maguire is a theology professor at Marquette University in Milwaukee and editor of Sacred Rights: The Case for Contraception and Abortion in World Religions (Oxford Press, 2003). Contact 414-288-5508, daniel.maguire@marquette.edu.
• Virginia Sapiro is a professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an expert on gender politics. Contact 608-262-5246 or 608-263-2414, vsapiro@wisc.edu.
• Drew Halfmann is a research fellow of public health, health management and policy at the University of Michigan and an expert on abortion policies. Contact 734-763-0387, halfmann@umich.edu.
• Timothy R. Johnson is assistant professor of political science at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis-St. Paul. He wrote the entry on Roe v. Wade for the Encyclopedia of American Religion and Politics (Facts on File, 2003). Contact 612-625-2907, tjohnson@polisci.umn.edu.
• Gerard Magill is director of the Center for Health Care Ethics at St. Louis University. He co-edited Abortion and Public Policy: An Interdisciplinary Investigation Within the Catholic Tradition (Creighton University Press, 1996). Contact 314-977-6660, magill@slu.edu.

IN THE SOUTHWEST
• Mark G. Toulouse is professor of American religious history at the Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. He wrote the article “Perspectives on Abortion in the Christian Community from the 1950s to the Early 1990s” for the journal Encounter (2001). Contact 817-257-7577, m.toulouse@tcu.edu.
• J. Matthew Wilson is a political science professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He is an expert on abortion politics. Contact 214-768-4054, jmwilson@mail.smu.edu.
• Barbara Norrander is a political science professor at the University of Arizona in Tucson. She co-wrote the entry “Public Opinion and Policymaking in the States: The Case of Post-Roe Abortion Policy” for the book The Public Clash of Private Values: The Politics of Morality Policy (CQ Press, 1999). Contact 520-621-7600, norrander@arizona.edu.
• Joseph M. Graham is a professor of philosophy at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. He is an expert on abortion legislation. Contact 713-525-3598, grahamj@stthom.edu.
• Robert M. Baird is a professor and chairman of the philosophy department at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. He co-edited the book The Ethics of Abortion: Pro-Life Vs. Pro-Choice (Prometheus Books, 2001). Contact 817-755-3368, Robert_Baird@baylor.edu.
• Deborah R. McFarlane is a professor in the department of political science at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. She co-wrote the book The Politics of Fertility Control (Chatham House Publishers, 2000). Contact 505-277-7130, dmcf@unm.edu.

IN THE WEST/NORTHWEST
• The Rev. Robert Spitzer is president of Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash. He wrote the book The Right to Life Movement and Third Party Politics (Greenwood Publishing Group, 1987). Contact 509-328-4200, president@gonzaga.edu.
• Ted G. Jelen is a professor of political science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He has followed the role abortion politics plays in elections. He co-edited the book Abortion Politics in the United States: Studies in Public Opinion (Praeger, 1994) and co-wrote the book Between Two Absolutes: Public Opinion and the Politics of Abortion (Westview, 1992). Contact 702-895-3355, jelent@unlv.edu.
• James C. Mohr is a history professor at the University of Oregon in Eugene. He is a nationally recognized expert on the abortion issue and author of Abortion in America: The Origins and Evolution of National Policy (Oxford University Press, 1979). He writes that the abortion debate has become a symbolic focal point for a variety of social issues. As a result, abortion politics now has an influence in Congress, the federal judiciary and American foreign policy. Contact 541-346-5903, jmohr@oregon.uoregon.edu.
• Carole Joffe is a sociology professor at the University of California, Davis. She wrote the article “Roe v Wade at 30: What are the Prospects of Abortion Provision,” for the journal Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health (January 2003). Contact 530-752-7747, cejoffe@ucdavis.edu.
• John E. Seery is a professor of politics at Pomona College in Pomona, Calif. He is an expert on abortion politics and wrote the article “Moral Perfectionism and Abortion Politics” for the journal Polity (2001). Contact 909-607-2458, John_Seery@pomona.edu.

A guide to covering abortion issues

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