August, 18 2011, 02:00pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Robyn Shepherd, ACLU national, (212) 519-7829 or 549-2666; media@aclu.org
Alessandra Soler Meetze, ACLU of Arizona, (602) 773-6006; ameetze@acluaz.org
ACLU and Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence Challenge Law that Withholds Critical Resources for Women's Health
Extreme Law Withholds Resources from Organizations that Provide Abortion Referrals or Counseling
PHOENIX
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit today against a law that would exclude any nonprofit organization that provides abortion referrals or counseling from receiving donations through the state's Working Poor Tax Credit Program. The law is so broad that it could prevent groups from even discussing abortion or other reproductive health services with women in crisis.
The ACLU filed the suit along with the ACLU of Arizona and the Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence (AzCADV).
"At a time when assistance for the poor and underserved is so crucial, this bill aims to take existing resources away from the most vulnerable and to limit their access to information and services," said Alessandra Soler Meetze, executive director of the ACLU of Arizona. "That's not only a violation of the First Amendment, it's cruel."
The Working Poor Tax Credit Program allows taxpayers to claim a credit on their state tax returns if they make a donation to organizations that serve low-income Arizona residents. However, this new law prohibits an otherwise qualified organization from participating in the program, if the organization provides referrals for abortion.
"Extreme political opposition to abortion is no excuse for depriving women of essential information and services," said Alexa Kolbi-Molinas, staff attorney with the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project. "This law is just part of a nationwide effort to take resources away from organizations that provide critical health care and services to women."
Organizations that serve survivors of partner violence and sexual assault in particular would be hurt by this law. Many victims of domestic violence have experienced a range of sexually abusive behaviors, including rape, which can lead to unwanted pregnancy. It is essential that a woman overcoming a violent relationship be able to make her own health care decisions. Survivors of domestic and sexual violence deserve to have access to a full range of information and options when escaping an abusive situation.
"This bill puts organizations that serve women in desperate need between a rock and a hard place," said Allison Bones, executive director of AzCADV. "Programs that serve victims of domestic violence should not have to choose between much-needed donations and the ability to provide comprehensive, uncensored care to the women they serve."
Attorneys on the case include Daniel Pochoda of the ACLU of Arizona and Kolbi-Molinas and Brigitte Amiri of the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project.
More information on this case can be found at:
www.aclu.org/reproductive-freedom/arizona-coalition-against-domestic-violence-vs-arizona-department-revenue
The American Civil Liberties Union was founded in 1920 and is our nation's guardian of liberty. The ACLU works in the courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to all people in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.
(212) 549-2666LATEST NEWS
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"The announcement of the fourth global bleaching event is an urgent call to do two things: reduce greenhouse gas emissions and work together to prioritize resilient coral reefs for conservation."
Apr 16, 2024
Scientists said Monday that the world's coral reefs are facing a fourth global bleaching event as the fossil fuel-driven climate emergency pushes ocean temperatures to record highs, imperiling the critical underwater ecosystems that sustain thousands of species.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI)—which NOAA co-chairs—said they documented coral bleaching in the northern and southern hemispheres of every major ocean basin on Earth between February 2023 and April of this year. It could be the worst global bleaching event on record.
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"NOAA has received confirmation of widespread bleaching across other parts of the Indian Ocean basin as well, including in Tanzania, Kenya, Mauritius, the Seychelles, Tromelin, Mayotte, and off the western coast of Indonesia," they added.
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Derek Manzello, coordinator of NOAA's Coral Reef Watch, said that "as the world's oceans continue to warm, coral bleaching is becoming more frequent."
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The latest global bleaching event is the second in the last 10 years and "should be a global wake-up call," Manzello toldThe Washington Post.
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The Center for Biological Diversity on Monday lamented what it called the Biden administration's failure to improve "outdated" limits on nitrogen and soot air pollution.
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According to the CBD:
The agency published today's proposal under an agreement that resulted from a 2022 lawsuit brought by the Center for Biological Diversity and the Center for Environmental Health. That agreement requires the agency to finalize its decision on the air quality standards no later than December 10, 2024.
The agency will hold a virtual public hearing on the proposed rule on May 8.
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Separately, green groups including Earthjustice, Sierra Club, California Communities Against Toxins, and Southwestern Environmental Law Center on Monday welcomed the EPA's decision to deny an industry petition to delist energy turbines as a major source of air pollution.
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