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* Mississippi…
In the fall of 2022, Ashley [who was 12] was raped by a stranger in the yard outside her home, her mother says. For weeks, she didn’t tell anybody what happened, not even her mom. But Regina knew something was wrong. Ashley used to love going outside to make dances for her TikTok, but suddenly she refused to leave her bedroom. When she turned 13 that November, she wasn’t in the mood to celebrate. “She just said, ‘It hurts,’” Regina remembers. “She was crying in her room. I asked her what was wrong, and she said she didn’t want to tell me.” […]
[Ob-gyn Dr. Erica Balthrop] told Regina that the closest abortion provider for Ashley would be in Chicago. At first, Regina thought she and Ashley could drive there. But it’s a nine-hour trip, and Regina would have to take off work. She’d have to pay for gas, food, and a place to stay for a couple of nights, not to mention the cost of the abortion itself. “I don’t have the funds for all this,” she says. […]
Mississippi’s abortion ban is expected to result in thousands of additional births, often to low-income, high-risk mothers. Dr. Daniel Edney, Mississippi’s top health official, tells TIME his department is “actively preparing” for roughly 4,000 additional live births this year alone. Edney says improving maternal-health outcomes is the “No. 1 priority” for the Mississippi health department, which has invested $2 million into its Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies program to provide extra support for new mothers. “There is a sense of following through, and not just as a predominantly pro-life state,” says Edney. “We don’t just care about life in utero. We care about life, period, and that includes the mother’s life and the baby’s life.”
Mississippi’s abortion ban contains narrow exceptions, including for rape victims and to save the life of the mother. As Ashley’s case shows, these exceptions are largely theoretical. Even if a victim files a police report, there appears to be no clear process for granting an exception. (The state Attorney General’s office did not return TIME’s repeated requests to clarify the process for granting exceptions; the Mississippi Board of Medical Licensure and the Mississippi State Medical Association did not reply to TIME’s requests for explanation.) And, of course, there are no abortion providers left in the state. In January, the New York Times reported that since Mississippi’s abortion law went into effect, only two exceptions had been made. Even if the process for obtaining one were clear, it wouldn’t have helped Ashley. Regina didn’t know that Mississippi’s abortion ban had an exception for rape.
* Texas…
On a warm November night, Salia Issa had just begun her shift as an Abilene prison officer when she felt the intense pain of what she believed was a contraction. […]
Eventually, two and a half hours after the pain started, the expectant mother said she was allowed to leave the Middleton Unit. As quickly as the pain would allow her, Issa drove to a nearby hospital, where doctors rushed her into emergency surgery after being unable to find a fetal heartbeat. The baby was delivered stillborn.
If Issa had gotten to the hospital sooner, medical personnel told her, the baby would have survived, the lawsuit claims. […]
But the prison agency and the Texas attorney general’s office, which has staked its reputation on “defending the unborn” all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, are arguing the agency shouldn’t be held responsible for the stillbirth because staff didn’t break the law. Plus, they said, it’s not clear that Issa’s fetus had rights as a person.
* Idaho…
The U.S. District Court decided Thursday that it would temporarily block enforcement of an Idaho law meant to prevent transgender students from using school restrooms that correspond with their gender identity.
Senate Bill 1100, which took effect July 1, would have required public schools to maintain two separate multi-occupancy restrooms, showers, changing facilities and overnight accommodations for students based on their sex assigned at birth. It also would have allowed students to sue the school for a minimum fine of $5,000 if they encountered a transgender student in the bathroom.
But in a legal order Thursday, the U.S. District Court granted a request for a temporary restraining order against the law — preventing schools from enforcing that mandate ahead of the school year.
* Indiana…
Whether a student would like to go by Joe or Joanna — if it’s not the name designated on the school records, parents should be expecting a call from school administrators.
This new policy is due to the passing of House Bill 1608 earlier this year, which requires teachers and school administrators to inform parents if their child requests a change of their name, title or pronoun.
Originally, the law specifically targeted transgender students, but after the bill went through several changes in the legislative process, the current version of the law affects any student who wishes to be addressed by a name other than the one given when their parent or guardian registered them for school. […]
“We are interpreting this to the ‘letter of the law’ that our legislators have written as no guidance has been provided by State agencies,” Shawn Greiner, superintendent of the West Lafayette Community School Corporation explained in an email to the Journal & Courier.
* Florida…
The new regulations have created a bureaucratic tangle, with several counties sending parents forms that must be filled out if they want their child referred to by something other than their legal name.
In Orange County, in and around Orlando, the district told parents that they must fill out the form even if “Robert” wishes to be called “Rob” — or if a trans child now goes by “Roberta.”
But school staff members “may elect” not to use she/her pronouns when referring to Roberta, according to the school district’s attorney, John C. Palmerini. In a memo to district staff, he cited House Bill 1069, a law signed by Governor DeSantis in May, which defines “sex” as corresponding to “external genitalia present at birth,” and also broadly restricts instruction on gender and sexuality. […]
The new state regulations around bathroom use in schools are clearer. Students, staff members and visitors will be required to use either the bathroom corresponding to the sex they were assigned at birth, or use a single-stall restroom. Districts that violate this law can be fined up to $10,000.
* More from Florida…
While Florida joins Kansas, Texas, Mississippi, and a handful of other states in proposing crackdowns on immigrants lacking legal residency, no other state has mandated that hospitals question patients about their citizenship.
Doctors, nurses, and health policy experts say the law targets marginalized people who already have difficulty navigating the health care system and will further deter them from seeking medical help. […]
“Imagine if all the hospitals said, ‘This is wrong. We can’t do it.’ But they just stay silent because they may lose state funding,” Carrasquillo said. “We do have political leaders who are very vindictive and who come after you.” […]
Bailey Smith, communications director for the [state’s Agency for Health Care Administration], said in an email the information will deliver “much needed transparency on the burden of illegal immigration on Florida’s health system. Collecting this data allows taxpayers to understand where their hard-earned dollars are being exploited.”
* Arkansas…
Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ Arkansas government will no longer pay for students to take the AP test in African American Studies. But the state will continue to pay for the test in European History. https://t.co/jtg4mS88q4
— Mark Jacob (@MarkJacob16) August 12, 2023
* Branson, Missouri…
Drag shows in Branson will have to sashay away from certain parts of town.
The city’s Board of Aldermen approved a measure this week intended to “preserve the city’s values,” and maintain the city’s reputation as a “family-oriented tourist destination,” according to a city fact sheet on the bill.
Drag shows will only be allowed in Branson’s downtown zoning district. Businesses elsewhere that currently host performances will be allowed to continue doing so.
posted by Isabel Miller
Monday, Aug 14, 23 @ 11:17 am
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=== maintain the city’s reputation as a “family-oriented tourist destination,” ===
What? Gay people and drag performers do not have families? How silly, and offensive at the same time. Performance art is a huge industry. Country music artist discuss sexuality, sex, drugs and alcohol all the time. So do most shows you can watch at home on you TV and in movie theaters. I bet some of those jokes the performers tell in Branson venues are equally R-rated.
Censorship with a tinge of sexism and discrimination and hate is the problem. Not men dressing as women as performers.
Comment by H-W Monday, Aug 14, 23 @ 11:53 am
Several years ago I read an article about how the Branson entertainment community was trying to balance the growing hate in the area toward gay individuals with the reality there was a large group of gay cast members in many of the Branson shows.
The article all but came out and said the Branson area was backward and was proud of the fact they were.
Comment by Give Me A Break Monday, Aug 14, 23 @ 12:17 pm
..But the state will continue to pay for the test in Aryan History.
There, made the intent more clear.
Comment by bhartbanjo Monday, Aug 14, 23 @ 12:27 pm
Oppo land is really depressing. that AP non payment story is just mean.
Comment by Amalia Monday, Aug 14, 23 @ 12:29 pm
I’m glad this is a recurring theme here. Shows how Illinois really is a great place to live despite what all the haters say.
Comment by ste_with a v_en Monday, Aug 14, 23 @ 12:35 pm
=== maintain the city’s reputation as a “family-oriented tourist destination,” ===
I’m assuming this city will ban sex novels like the “Bible” at the library.
Doesnt seem “family friendly” if that book is available.
Comment by === maintain the city’s reputation as a “family-oriented tourist destination,” === Monday, Aug 14, 23 @ 12:44 pm
12:44pm was me. I guess I accidently pasted that into the subject line. Sorry about that.
Comment by Jerry Monday, Aug 14, 23 @ 12:57 pm
Too bad there aren’t any moderate Republicans to push back on this blatant bigotry and backwardness. This country desperately needs moderate voices on the right, but there’s no place for them in the GOP.
Comment by Grandson of Man Monday, Aug 14, 23 @ 1:06 pm
Lived in Brason for two years in my youth, and twice in that time, I was told that I was going to burn in hell for being Catholic. Looks like the city remains as welcoming as always.
Comment by Treefiddy Monday, Aug 14, 23 @ 1:23 pm
Between the ban on drag and the recent passing of Shoji Tabuchi, Branson’s tourism industry is going to take a real hit.
Comment by sulla Monday, Aug 14, 23 @ 1:27 pm
My mother’s family, originally from Kentucky, now in both Kentuck and Indiana, routinely go by middle names. I’m not sure if I even know the “given” name of some of my cousins. My Mom’s family is big–so there would be a lot of forms to fill out.
Comment by G'Kar Monday, Aug 14, 23 @ 1:30 pm
If someone runs across an organization that will pay the fee for students in AR to take the test, please let us know.
Comment by OneMan Monday, Aug 14, 23 @ 1:34 pm
The Mississippi story at the top is a true horror from start to finish, with a real lowlight coming from the doctor who asks a sixth-grader impregnated by assault “What have you been doing?”
The thing about the cruelty at the top is that it really does filter down.
Comment by Roadrager Monday, Aug 14, 23 @ 1:53 pm
===Plus, they said, it’s not clear that Issa’s fetus had rights as a person.===
Texas just infuriates me. The state pays bounties for reporting abortions, for crying out loud. But Texas is on the hook for causing a stillbirth and suddenly they’re all “fetuses don’t have rights.”
Comment by Nick Name Monday, Aug 14, 23 @ 2:04 pm
oppo land
what states who are not in the red call Illinois.
Comment by smile politely Monday, Aug 14, 23 @ 2:18 pm
===what states who are not in the red call Illinois.===
Hope you didn’t hyperventilate typing that.
This is why Rich’s posts “Opposite Land” are so important.
In the micro, Illinois is trying to find how it wants law enforcement, constitutional rights, equality, education…
The macro discussions through these other states shows one cult finding faults that some pronounce “in the name of…” whatever.
It’s wrapped around stomping on voting rights, marginalizing the majority by making minority rule “the real rule of law with our laws”
Honestly, the policies of this cultish GOP begin and end at limited democracy, suppression, in the name of phony patriotism.
It’s important to see we are lucky… so far.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Aug 14, 23 @ 2:54 pm
In Opposite Land. The title itself betrays an ignorance of the complexity of red and blue states, or perhaps simply a desire to placate those of your readers who are on the left side of spectrum. The typo toward the end was funny, though:
Missouri drag shows bared from certain parts of town
Comment by Chitruth Monday, Aug 14, 23 @ 3:42 pm
===The title itself betrays an ignorance of the complexity of red and blue states===
LOLOL
Keep telling yourself that, bub.
The laws those states pass are a whole different than the laws this state passes. Hence, opposite land.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Aug 14, 23 @ 3:48 pm
=The typo toward the end was funny, though:=
When was the last time you were harmed by a drag queen?
Comment by JS Mill Monday, Aug 14, 23 @ 3:51 pm
==Aldermen approved a measure this week intended to “preserve the city’s values==
At this rate, they’ll start putting disclaimers at the beginning of ‘White Christmas’ or cut the sister’s scene with Bing and Danny.
Comment by Jocko Monday, Aug 14, 23 @ 3:55 pm
===When was the last time you were harmed by a drag queen? ===
Years ago, in River North, some inebriated out of towners inappropriately asked a friend I was with where they could find hot chicks like said friend. She gave them directions. After they left on their happy adventure, she explained she’d sent them to a drag bar.
Hope they had a good time.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Aug 14, 23 @ 4:17 pm
Actually Illinois is a Conservative state, if by Conservative you mean limited government. We are not regulating performances in bars or clubs.
In Red states they are forcing their religious “lifestyle” on others. And Religion is a Lifestyle Choice. No one is forced to live “that way”.
Comment by Jerry Monday, Aug 14, 23 @ 4:30 pm
Rich Miller–do you consider laughing at an argument you consider to be faulty, because it diverges from your worldview, to be uncivil or civil?
It is important to keep in mind the difference between what the politicians approve, and what the citizens think. The complexity to which I referred is simply that Illinois has significant red state-type citizens, and blue states have the reverse.
Comment by Chitruth Monday, Aug 14, 23 @ 4:43 pm
===The complexity to which I referred is simply that Illinois has significant red state-type citizens, and blue states have the reverse. ===
And that has what to do with the laws passed in those states? That’s what 99+ percent of these posts are about. Laws passed and the resulting enforcement of those laws.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Aug 14, 23 @ 4:47 pm
And, to be clear, I laughed not because your comment “diverges from my worldview,” but because it was laughably goofy.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Aug 14, 23 @ 4:52 pm
Anybody who’s afraid of a drag show isn’t afraid of the drag show.
Comment by Dotnonymous x Monday, Aug 14, 23 @ 4:55 pm
“diverges from my worldview ”
More self-serving language from Generation Uncomfortable…give me a break.
Comment by Dotnonymous x Monday, Aug 14, 23 @ 5:02 pm
==Hence, opposite land==
I’m embarrassed for the people that fail to grasp the concept of this post.
Comment by Demoralized Monday, Aug 14, 23 @ 5:14 pm
==I’m embarrassed for the people that fail to grasp the concept of this post. ==
It is a theatrical display put on by those with permanent victim complex. They can’t coherently argue in support of any of the actual policies outlined in the post, so they attack the messenger.
Comment by supplied_demand Monday, Aug 14, 23 @ 6:50 pm