South Carolina bans most abortions while governor signs ‘fetal pulse’ bill

The Hill: Governor of South Carolina signs bill banning most abortions

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster (R) on Thursday signed a bill that would ban most abortions in the state, the most recent to enact strict abortion restrictions. The new law, dubbed the “South Carolina Fetal Heartbeat and Abortion Protection Act,” prohibits abortion if a fetal heartbeat can be detected and requires doctors to perform an ultrasound before performing an abortion to see if a heartbeat can be detected. The law contains exceptions for a fetus conceived by rape or incest, or if the mother’s life is at risk. (Axelrod, 2/18)

CNN: Governor of South Carolina signs bill banning most abortions when fetal heartbeat is detected

“This is a great day. It is a happy day,” said the Republican during a packed event at the State Capitol. “There are many happy hearts beating now.” The South Carolina Fetal Heartbeat and Abortion Protection Act states that the doctor must perform an ultrasound on a person who wants to have an abortion to determine if there is a fetal heartbeat. If a heartbeat is found, the doctor cannot perform an abortion unless he believes it is a medical emergency, the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest or there is a fetal abnormality, the bill says. Abortion providers who provide the procedure outside these parameters may face fines and imprisonment. (Watts and Kelly, 2/18)

In pandemic updates from Indiana, Kentucky, Georgia and California –

Indianapolis Star: Indiana Gov. Holcomb signs COVID Liability Bill, Lawsuit Protection

Governor Eric Holcomb signed a bill on Thursday that would provide companies, including asylums, with civil immunity from coronavirus lawsuits. The act takes effect immediately. “The pandemic has affected Hoosier companies, schools and others in ways that no one could have predicted just a year ago,” said Holcomb in a statement. “To help the state recover, I gave assurances that they will not have to live and work with fear of frivolous lawsuits as part of my next level agenda. “Critics were concerned that the Senate Bill 1 could impact lawsuits aimed at asylums that have no connection to the pandemic and would provide unprecedented and unnecessary protections. (Lange, 2/18)

AP: Kentucky COVID relaxation rules in some long-term care centers

Kentucky is easing coronavirus-related restrictions at some of its long-term treatment facilities. Internal visitation will resume at facilities not certified by Medicare that have undergone the COVID-19 vaccination process, said Governor Andy Beshear. Group activities, community dinners and visits to vaccinated residents will resume, he said. Included in the updated protocols are assisted living facilities, personal care homes, intermediate care facilities for people with intellectual disabilities and independent living centers, said Beshear. (2/19)

Georgia Health News: Bill to allow visitors to hospitals and nursing homes has been reduced, but still generates emotional debate

The Georgia House committee held a heated debate on Thursday over a reduced bill to allow people to visit patients in hospitals and long-term care facilities during a public health emergency. The nation is currently in the middle of an emergency – the COVID-19 pandemic. (Miller, 2/18)

The Washington Post: Oakley Union On Hot Mic school board despises parents who “want their babysitters back”

Thinking they were in a private forum where they could safely vent, a group of school board members from the San Francisco Bay Area unleashed months of pent-up frustration with their parents, dismissing them as marijuana users desperate for free nannies for almost a year. after the pandemic. “We are alone?” a member of the Oakley Union Elementary School District Board of Trustees asked this week, before describing his attitude towards critics: “B —-, if you’re going to call me out, I’m going to fuck you. ”(Farzan, 02/19)

In other news from Louisiana, Utah, California and Pennsylvania –

New Orleans Times-Picayune: Louisiana saw the nation’s sharpest peak in drug overdose deaths between 2019 and 2020

The number of drug overdose deaths in Louisiana increased more rapidly than any other US state during the 12 months ending last July, a period that included the first few months of the coronavirus pandemic, according to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control. About 1,720 Louisianans died of an overdose during that period, which saw what the CDC estimates to be a record 86,000 overdose deaths. Louisiana’s total is 53% higher than the number of people killed during the same period last year, a peak twice as sharp as the national average. (Adelson and DeRobertis, 02/19)

Salt Lake Tribune: Bill requiring parents to pay 50% of pregnancy costs passes Senate

A bill that would require a biological father to pay half of the direct pregnancy costs to the woman carrying her child was passed unanimously in the Utah Senate on Thursday. HB113, which requires a final procedural vote in the Senate before being referred to the governor for signature or veto, applies to a pregnant mother’s health insurance premiums and all pregnancy-related medical costs, from conception to birth . Senator Dan McCay, R-Riverton, said the bill is an effort “to try to bring some equity into the financing of pregnancies and share that burden and [to recognize] the important role that mother and father play in pregnancy. ”(Stevens, 2/18)

San Francisco Chronicle: Oakland plans to replace police with disorderly mental health professionals

As protests against police brutality swept through Oakland in June, the City Council took a bold step to rethink public safety: it set aside $ 1.85 million for a new program to send counselors and paramedics for mental health crises, instead armed police. Eight months later, the Oakland Mobile Assistance Community Respondent program is still on track. And on February 17, two community organizations competing for the contract were canceled. (Swan, 2/19)

Philadelphia Inquirer: Philadelphia’s SPOT period offers free menstrual products for those experiencing poverty

After years of running his non-profit organization – No More Secrets: Mind Body Spirit, Inc. – from Medley’s therapy office and the trunk of his car, on Saturday McGlone and Medley will open the SPOT period in Germantown. It is believed to be the country’s first menstrual center. Fully funded by donations from the community, SPOT (meaning Safety Programming for Optimal Transformation) offers a range of services, including free menstrual and hygiene products, educational resources and seminars, access to drinking water and toilets, a computer room, kits first period, and a Breonna Taylor safe room for “marginalized women to escape the dangers of the world”. (Farr, 2/19)