The most notable abortion case in what could be two decades

This case affects 5.4 million Texas women of reproductive age, more than 60,000 of whom choose to have an abortion each year. Since HB2’s forced clinic closings in 2013, a recent study surveyed Texas women between ages 18 to 49 about the use of self-induced abortion among the general population. These Texas Policy Evaluation Project findings were released on 11/19/15 and reported by the Austin Chronicle. At least 100,000 Texas women have attempted to terminate pregnancies without medical assistance since HB2 passed. Researchers believe as many as 240,000 women have attempted self-induced abortion, but would not report because of the stigma involved. An 11/17/15 Washington Post report said that using misoprostol was the most common method, but women reported using herbs, homeopathic methods, as well as “getting hit or punched in the abdomen, using alcohol or illicit drugs, or taking hormonal pills.”

By hearing this case the Court could clarify its 1992 ruling in Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey where the high court held that states cannot impose an undue burden on a woman’s right to abortion prior to fetal viability. The first attempt by a state to restrict abortion was Pennsylvania’s 1989 Abortion Control Act, challenging the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. Under the Casey ruling the Supreme Court held that unnecessary health regulations with the purpose or effect of presenting a substantial obstacle to a woman seeking an abortion are considered undue burdens. According to Politico Pro dozens of states have limited abortion access through measures such as delays, restrictive building code regulations and mandatory ultrasound requirements since the Casey ruling. In agreeing to hear the first major abortion case since 2007, the Court’s ruling has “the potential to affect millions of women and to revise the constitutional principles governing abortion rights,” wrote Adam Liptak, chief New York Times Legal Correspondent. Oral arguments will likely take place next spring. Politico Pro believes that Justice Anthony Kennedy will cast the deciding vote. A June Court ruling will thrust this divisive issue of abortion to the forefront of the 2016 presidential campaign.

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL (CDC) FINDS INCREASES IN SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES:

An 11/17/15 AP/Philadelphia Inquirer report warned that Chlamydia, Gonorrhea and Syphilis cases all increased in 2014 with rates of Chlamydia reaching record levels. 1.4 million Cases of Chlamydia were reported marking a nearly 3% increase from 2013. The total marks the largest number of annual cases for any STD reported to the CDC. Individuals ages 15 to 24 comprised two-thirds of reported Gonorrhea and Chlamydia cases in 2014.

The non-profit public interest group, the Center for Public Integrity annually rates all 50 states investigating – Secrecy – Questionable Ethics -- & Conflicts of Interest. This data-driven assessment probes Open Records Laws that reveal glaring conflicts of interest and cozy relationships with lobbyists. The 2015 grades are based on 245 questions on transparency and accountability and how well ethics laws are enforced or implemented. Categories examined include: Public Access to Information; Political Financing; Electoral Oversight; State Budget Processes; Judicial Accountability; Legislative Accountability; State Civil Service Management; Procurement; Internal Auditing; Lobby Disclosure; State Pension Fund Management and Ethics Enforcement Agencies.

to view a special screening and panel discussion by the Pennsylvania Commission for Women, the PA Coalition Against Rape and the PA State System for Higher Education. “It is a priority for my administration to ensure that sexual assault on campuses is not tolerated and that our schools are promoting the best possible academic and social environment for our students,” Gov. Wolf said. The “Hunting Ground” is a chilling indictment of the widespread failure of college administrators to adequately respond to allegations of rape on campus.

Courts and the Education Department have held that Title IX requires any school receiving federal funding to address sexual harassment among students, and the most extreme form of harassment, courts say, is sexual assault. The list of sexual violence investigations open at post-secondary Pennsylvania institutions as of 7/22/15 follows and includes the dates the specific investigations were initiated:

1/13/14 – Carnegie Mellon University

11/20/14 – Elizabethtown College

3/26/14 – Franklin & Marshall College

1/23/14 – Pennsylvania State

2/19/15 – Point Park College

2/27/15 – Point Park College

7/12/13 – Swarthmore College

8/19/13 – Temple University

11/19/14 – Temple University

4/23/15 – Valley Forge Military College
There are 140 sexual violence cases under investigation at 124 U.S. post-secondary institutions as of July 2015. The Education Department has said it needs more funding so it can hire additional staff to keep up with the increasing volume of complaints resulting in federal probes. Not only has the number of investigations grown, but the probes are taking more time. In 2014 the average investigation regarding sexual assaults at post-secondary institutions had stretched to 1,469 days, up from the agency’s average time of 365 days for fiscal year 2009 through 2013, according to a 7/24/15 Huffington Post report. Isn’t justice delayed, justice denied? Are these delays akin to the thousands of accumulated rape kits that lay unexamined for years in police storage for lack of DNA analysis funding? We are following legislation being drafted in the Senate and U.S. House to improve both reporting and subsequent investigations

in 2016.