New Hampshire has a change of heart.
Governor John Lynch signed legislation on Friday that repeals their law requiring parental notice when a minor is seeking an abortion. This makes New Hampshire the first state to retract a parental notification law.
Forty-four states already have laws enforcing parental notification, but New Hampshire is no longer one of them. Good shit.
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Yay! I was psyched when I found this out. Especially because apparently my town (Exeter) is the birthplace of the modern Republican party (blech!).
Gov. Lynch and Rep. Carol Shea-Porter are awesome. We just need to work on getting the other two members of the forced-pregnancy movement out of office (Gregg and Sununu).
(On a side note, if anyone is within decent driving distance of the Concord Feminist Health Center, I highly recommend it. They also have a therapeutic massage room!)
I remember a while ago when they were talking about the parental notification laws, saying that if it came into effect, then it would create more problems than it would solve. (ie, if it was a product of incest). So ya.
Go NH!
I remember a while ago when they were talking about the parental notification laws, saying that if it came into effect, then it would create more problems than it would solve. (ie, if it was a product of incest). So ya.
Go NH!
Live Free or Die! My sister gave testimony to Congress on repealing the notification - she's 18!
Well done for them. And 20 points for Kate's sister. That takes a lot of courage, especially in the current political climate. It's a very public act.
Well done for them. And 20 points for Kate's sister. That takes a lot of courage, especially in the current political climate. It's a very public act.
I was overjoyed when I saw this on the news the other day. I don't know much about northeast politics (being a southerner), but friends from Vermont tell me that NH is a frequently conservative leaning place. It gives me hope for my beloved FL. It seems like any time opposition to parental notification is raised here, you get a flood of "but you don't care about the children?!" b.s.
These people apparently think the medical community is out to force unsafe abortions on their kids or something, when in reality they are making the world unsafe for kids by requiring the already most-abused least-defended segment of our society to find a way to find a way through a complicated legal mess when trying to end an unwanted pregnancy. It must be ridiculously daunting for teens. And these are just new hurdles for those who already face tremendous obstacles to contraception access and accurate information about sex. Really, I think the people who help these laws get and stay in place should be held accountable for all the pain and suffering they cause. I know that had I gotten pregnant as a teen, with all those obstacles and fear of my parents' wrath, I would definitely have considered undergoing an illegal abortion if I had found a way of obtaining one. Not smart, I know, but the world is a whole different place from the perspective of a minor with limited legal rights and experience in advocating for his/her own cause.
I was overjoyed when I saw this on the news the other day. I don't know much about northeast politics (being a southerner), but friends from Vermont tell me that NH is a frequently conservative leaning place. It gives me hope for my beloved FL. It seems like any time opposition to parental notification is raised here, you get a flood of "but you don't care about the children?!" b.s.
These people apparently think the medical community is out to force unsafe abortions on their kids or something, when in reality they are making the world unsafe for kids by requiring the already most-abused least-defended segment of our society to find a way to find a way through a complicated legal mess when trying to end an unwanted pregnancy. It must be ridiculously daunting for teens. And these are just new hurdles for those who already face tremendous obstacles to contraception access and accurate information about sex. Really, I think the people who help these laws get and stay in place should be held accountable for all the pain and suffering they cause. I know that had I gotten pregnant as a teen, with all those obstacles and fear of my parents' wrath, I would definitely have considered undergoing an illegal abortion if I had found a way of obtaining one. Not smart, I know, but the world is a whole different place from the perspective of a minor with limited legal rights and experience in advocating for his/her own cause.