Latest news with #MeetBabyOlivia
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bill on requiring fetal development instruction in Iowa schools heads to governor
Fetal development videos and graphics would have to be shown in Iowa classrooms under legislation that is headed to the governor's desk. (Photo via Getty Images) Iowa schools would have to show ultrasound videos and computer-generated graphics on fetal development in Iowa classrooms under legislation sent to the governor's desk Monday. Senate File 175, approved 33-16, would require human growth and development classes for Iowa students in grades 5-12 include ultrasound video and computer-generated rendering or animations depicting 'the humanity of the unborn child by showing prenatal human development, starting at fertilization.' This measure was modeled after laws in other states and similar bills brought up in previous sessions that referenced the 'Meet Baby Olivia' video created by anti-abortion group Live Action, though the 2025 legislation does not mention the video by name. The bill was amended by the House April 17 to ban materials on fetal development from being shown in classrooms if the entity that created it performs or 'promotes' abortions, or if it contracts, affiliates, or makes referrals to organizations that perform or promote abortions. Democrat in both chambers said this amendment would lead to inaccurate and biased material being shown in Iowa classrooms, as most of the medical organizations that work on issues related to pregnancy and fetal development perform or provide referrals for abortions when medically necessary. The measure only refers to 'abortion' at large, and does not exclude entities that only perform medically necessary abortions, such as in cases when the pregnancy puts the life of the mother at risk. The Mayo Clinic, a Minnesota-based health care provider, was brought up as an organization that would be excluded from school material under the bill despite being a leading professional source on fetal development. Sen. Zach Wahls, D-Coralville, also argued that material from the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics would be excluded, as the UI hospital system performs abortions to save the life of the pregnant person. Wahls also said material developed by other UI entities like the proposed 'center for intellectual freedom' would also be excluded, as it is 'affiliated' with UIHC. 'I think it's very clear that by being an affiliate of an entity that performs abortions — and that is something that happens at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics — research, human-based, age-appropriate curriculum that was being developed at the University of Iowa, is no longer going to be acceptable in Iowa classrooms,' Wahls said. 'That is just very peculiar.' Sen. Jeff Taylor, R-Sioux Center, said he preferred the Senate version and felt the House amendment was 'probably unnecessary given the parameters of the original bill' — arguing that entities performing abortions would already be excluded from creating school materials under the original legislation, as the material is required to depict 'the humanity of the unborn child.' 'Entities that perform or promote abortions are liable to be biased against the humanity and inherent value of human life before birth, which is one of the central components of this bill,' Taylor said. 'That is not to say that everything they produce is false, but in order to be unbiased, it doesn't make sense to use prenatal development information from abortion advocates.' He said opponents were ignoring the language in the bill requiring the information shown in school classrooms be medically accurate and research-based. However, he said this material could show a 'biased' view if they perform abortions or support access to abortions, pointing to guidance from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to use the term 'embryo' instead of 'baby' or 'unborn child' when discussing early stages of gestation. 'Embryo is an accurate scientific term to refer to a specific point in the human development process, but it is important to not leave out that this is a stage of human development,' Taylor said. 'Using material from abortion advocates may provide a tainted view of human life before birth, and that is unfair to young learning minds. Embryos, fetuses, babies, adolescents and adults are all human, and that fact should not be hidden — that every life, no matter how small, contains humanity and dignity from the very start.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bipartisan support suggests better sex ed in FL schools. It's the opposite.
As a Palm Beach County resident, the Executive Director of the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates, and a mom of two teenagers, I have grave concerns about our young people's future in Florida. I know our elected officials share my commitment to education, but I'm troubled by the support I'm seeing for House Bill 1255, which includes language mandating the use of anti-abortion propaganda in our public schools. As this bill moves through the committee process we're seeing members of our local legislative delegation – both Democrats and Republicans – voting "yes" for this bill requiring middle and high school students in Florida be subjected to anti-abortion indoctrination despite the fact that National Sex Education Standards do not recommend viewing an ultrasound video for sex education and displaying such a video is not considered a best practice in the sex education field. Bills like HB 1255 are another example of a growing trend to infuse anti-abortion extremism and disinformation into health education by requiring the viewing of the "Meet Baby Olivia" video created by Live Action, an extreme anti-abortion group. Although the bill doesn't directly name Live Action's 'Meet Baby Olivia' video, it uses a description of the video that is very similar to the one used in the North Dakota law, and would likely require that students have to watch the Live Action video as part of health education. Thus far, no other videos have been developed that comply with the legislation, which leaves school boards with no option but to rely on Live Action's materials, even though the video is not scientifically accurate and has not been endorsed by leading medical organizations such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Opinion: Florida is getting prudish on sex education Being that the video in question is intended to mislead and frighten, it's no wonder it's rife with falsehoods. For starters, the video counts the embryo's age from conception, which is not how doctors measure pregnancy. They measure from the last known period. That means, in addition to other inaccuracies about development, every milestone is presented two weeks earlier than it happens. The computer-generated video uses up-close shots to misrepresent fetal development. The truth is, early pregnancy looks nothing like what we're told by groups like Live Action. Live Action – the group behind the 'Baby Olivia' video – must not be allowed to spread their propaganda in our schools. Their group has been suspended or banned from several social media platforms for spreading conspiracies and disinformation and for posting graphic fear-mongering content and has been widely discredited for its inflammatory and doctored videos. In April 2024, Fargo Public Schools in North Dakota stopped showing this video after a 15-year-old student said the video was misleading. A committee there investigated the video and found it contains significant portions of untrue information, inaccurate facts, and/or faulty premises. Opinion: Florida turning the page on book banning with an excuse that will make you gag All young people — no matter who they are or where they live — deserve sex education that is reflective of their experiences and needs. Young people deserve an accurate curriculum that will equip them to make healthy decisions and build the futures they want. I hope our legislators will heed this warning from North Dakota – and from the overwhelming opposition from Floridians who have testified against this bill – and not only vote down this dangerous language, but speak up for our young people who are looking to these elected officials for leadership. Laura Goodhue is Executive Director of the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates, and Palm Beach resident. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida sex ed in schools may get worse with new bill | Opinion
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Baby Olivia Act hits another bump in Arkansas Senate Committee
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A bill in the Arkansas legislature that would require public schools to show a human development bill to elementary students failed in committee on Wednesday after more than an hour of debate. House Bill 1180 was filed on Jan. 21 by Rep. Mary Bentley (R-Perryville), sponsored by Sen. Clint Penzo (R-Springdale) and co-sponsored by nearly three dozen other lawmakers. After the bill hit a bump in the Senate Education Committee on Feb. 10, Bentley presented an amended version that would require a 'human fetal growth and development discussion' beginning in sixth grade instead of fifth and permitting the Arkansas Department of Education's Division of Elementary and Secondary Education to develop a list of approved videos. The ADE's list would include the 'Meet Baby Olivia' video. The three-minute video depicts fertilization and the stages of in-utero development of a computer-generated fetus. However, the bill has received backlash from other lawmakers and the public. Bill filed to show Baby Olivia gestation video in Arkansas health classrooms Brittaney Stockton, a mother of three daughters, spoke against the bill during the Senate Education Committee meeting on Wednesday. Stockton advocated for broader sexual education as she said it could help protect children from sexual abuse. Others spoke in support of the bill, with one saying it would be 'an act of advantage discrimination' to not allow children to understand the process of human development. Bentley said the bill is about 'teaching children the basic facts about human development [in an] approachable way.' The bill failed on Wednesday due to not receiving the five votes it would need to advance out of the eight-person committee. HB1180 is on the Senate Education Committee's regular agenda for March 3. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Abortion-related bills filed in the 114th General Assembly
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Since the 114th General Assembly has gaveled in and completed their special session on education, immigration and disaster relief funding, Tennessee lawmakers will soon shift their focus to other issues they would like to address through legislation. One topic that will be address this year is abortion. Currently, lawmakers have filed around half a dozen bills related to abortion. Here are some of the abortion-related bills lawmakers hope to see passed this session. The first abortion-related bill filed by lawmakers was filed by Democrats. Nashville Rep. Harold Love and Memphis Sen. Raumesh Akbari filed this bill, which carves out exemptions for what constitutes an abortion in Tennessee. Specifically, the bill clarifies the use of contraceptives is not included in the legal definition of 'abortion' in the state, including 'any device, medication, biological product, or procedure that is general intended for us in the prevention of pregnancy' as well as the disposal of embryos resulting from fertility treatments. When Tennessee's trigger law banning abortion went into effect in 2022 after the fall of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court, there was confusion around whether or not those receiving IVF treatments would be breaking the law if not all of the embryos created were carried to term. This bill would make clear those receiving IVF would not be running afoul of the abortion ban. This bill, filed by Brentwood Republican Rep. Gino Bulso and Hohenwald Republican Sen. Joey Hensley, would prohibit someone from mailing or delivering an 'abortion-inducing drug' into the state. Gun legislation filed in the Tennessee General Assembly An 'abortion-inducing' drug is defined in the bill as any medication that is intended to be used to terminate the life of an 'unborn child,' including mifepristone, misoprostol, and mifeprex (RU-846). It would not include misoprostol intended to treat stomach ulcers. If someone violates this statute by mailing the drugs to Tennessee and they are used successfully, whoever mailed them would be liable for $5 million in damages if someone brings legal action within five years. On the other side of the coin, Rep. Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville) and Sen. London Lamar (D-Memphis) filed the 'Reproductive Freedom Act.' The bill, as filed, declares every person has a 'fundamental right' to their own reproductive care, including having an abortion or using contraceptives and states a fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus does not have 'independent or derivative rights' under state law. The bill also deletes provisions of current law restricting access to abortions, such as through 'ambulatory surgical treatment center' requirements, requirements for final disposal of fetal remains, a mandate to erect a monument to unborn children with state funds, reporting requirements for those who perform and receive abortions, a requirement to show a pro-life video titled 'Meet Baby Olivia' and more. ⏩ This bill takes a less extreme stance than the 'Reproductive Freedom Act.' Filed by Chattanooga Democrat Rep. Yusuf Hakeem, this bill clarifies that a 'criminal abortion' in Tennessee does not include abortions received after a woman has been the victim of rape or incest. Tennessee's current abortion ban contains no such exemptions. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill filed to show Baby Olivia gestation video in Arkansas health classrooms
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A bill filed in the Arkansas legislature aims to show a video called 'Meet Baby Olivia' in Arkansas health classrooms. The video takes viewers through fetal development. Some say it is scientifically accurate, while others say it's misleading. Pro-Life supporters march to the Capitol for the 47th annual March for Life The bill wants to include human growth and development discussion in Arkansas health classrooms. The bill's lead sponsor is Rep. Mary Bentley (R-Perryville). 'It's a three-minute thing, very easy, no cost to our schools,' Bentley said. If the legislation becomes law, students beginning in the fifth grade will view the video made by the anti-abortion organization Live Action. The legislation would impact students in public school districts and open-enrollment charter schools in the state. 'So, it just shows, each week what they can do, when the heart starts, when the arms their arms and limbs develop,' Bentley said. Pro-life, pro-choice leaders in Arkansas react to Supreme Court ruling on abortion pills Gennie Diaz executive director of For AR people, believes this video is misleading. 'We see it as a Trojan horse of indoctrination,' Diaz said, adding that the timeline of the fetus development in the video is off. 'There is also a lot of pushback from medical experts that agree that this is a political agenda, not necessary just scientific evidence-based stuff materials for our kids,' Diaz said. Bentley said the video has been backed scientifically. 'I've had colleagues [ask], 'Why this video?' 'Why show this video?' because it's already been through the ringer, already been through court cases to make sure it's scientifically accurate,' Bentley said. The bill also has a sexual education piece to it for schools that offer sex education in school-based health clinics that would include the Baby Olivia video. Bentley said this comes at no cost to schools, and Live Action's name will be excluded from the video. Attorney General Tim Griffin certifies Arkansas Abortion Amendment ballot language The bill is expected to be discussed in committee soon. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
