Latest from the Choice Lobby Network

Feature: Happy 37th Anniversary, Roe!

In honor of the 37th anniversary of the passage of Roe v. Wade, RH Reality Check put together a video of pro-choice supporters answering the question, “What does choice mean to you?”

NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia Investigates CPCs

In Virginia, not unlike other states, drivers have the option of purchasing “Choose Life” anti –abortion license plates. A portion of the fees go to “Heartbeat International”, a Christian group that distributes money to Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs) across the state. Questions were raised about whether or not these clinics were qualified to receive these funds. These questions were raised by NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia volunteers who went undercover and found out some startling facts (read a summary of the report here):

· 38 out of the 52 anti-abortion pregnancy centers in Virginia do not have medically trained or supervised personnel on staff
· Two-thirds of the centers provided "some degree of medically erroneous information."
· Fliers distributed were misleading and outdated
· Other false statements are highlighted by the investigators here.

Sadly, CPC funding is alive and well in Minnesota. In a recent article in the Minnesota Independent, Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota, Linnea House, helped explain how your tax dollars are helping to pay for misinformation about reproductive health given by these CPCs. The large anti-choice organization, Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, is currently putting its weight behind legislation that would bring anti-choice plates to Minnesota.

Status Check: The Healthcare Debate

We all heard about the unexpected election of Republican Scott Brown to the Massachusetts Senate. Anti-choice leaders are praising this win and everyone is talking about Senator-Elect Brown’s impact on the passage of healthcare reform.

As it stands right now, both bills change the abortion status quo and many legislators are holding their votes hostage, waiting to see what the abortion language looks like in the final version.

Since it’s increasingly difficult to follow the differences between the two versions of the reform legislation, the Associated Press put together an interactive article to help you see how your healthcare would be impacted by each version of the bill. Also, to see how reform will affect women’s health specifically, check out this article.

Wait... WHAT?! Your Jaw Dropping Moment of the Week:

CBS, the network bringing us the SuperBowl this year, has a standard “No Advocacy in Advertising” policy which they are apparently more than willing to bend. During this year’s game, keep your eyes open for an anti-choice ad featuring 2007 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and his mother, Pam. RH Reality Check explains that CBS has previously rejected ads by MoveOn.org and NBC has rejected a PSA on marriage equality—apparently anti-choice ads don’t fall under the same “no advocacy” policy.

Video of the Week: Keith Olbermann Explains Implications of Scott Roeder’s Trial

The Wichita, Kansas trial of the man who has admitted he killed abortion doctor George Tiller last May began Friday, and confessed killer Scott Roeder could end up with just four to six years in prison. Southern Poverty Law Centers Mark Potok discusses the ramifications in this Keith Olbermann segment.