Planned Parenthood to Offer Abortions in Missouri, Expanding Access for Oklahomans
Planned Parenthood says it will begin offering abortions in Missouri, opening up another out-of-state option for women in Oklahoma.
This comes after a Missouri judge blocked licensing requirements for abortion clinics.
The order declared the state’s facility licensing requirements are discriminatory because they only apply to abortion providers.
Jackson County, Missouri, Circuit Court Judge Jerri Zhang said the regulations mandate physicians to perform unnecessary exams and testing.
In November, Missouri residents passed a ballot measure adding abortion rights to the state constitution. The state’s Planned Parenthood affiliates said these requirements prevented providers from resuming care.
Comprehensive Health of Planned Parenthood Great Plains President and CEO Emily Wales said the decision is a triumph for patients who will “now be able to receive high-quality care without fear.”
Bill To Expand Parental Rights For Medical Records
A proposed state law would give parents more rights to see their minor child's medical records.
Republican Senator Brian Guthrie of Bixby said current law is being interpreted by some medical facilities to require minors give consent before their parents can see their records.
“There are loopholes in this current statute and I aim to close those loopholes,” Guthrie said.
One exception is if a parent is under investigation of a crime against their minor child, but a law enforcement official would have to ask the records not be released.
The bill passed in committee and next goes to the full senate.
This story was produced by Sam Moore at The Freelancer.
Proposed Legislation To Raise Foster Reimbursement Rates
A bill to increase reimbursement payments for foster parents is moving forward in the state legislature.
Republican Representative Nick Archer’s House Bill 2030 passed the Appropriations and Budget Human Services Subcommittee unanimously on Monday.
If passed into law, maintenance payments to foster parents, which are meant to help cover the cost of caring for a foster child, will be raised by five dollars per day per child.
Currently, daily payments for a child ages zero to five is $17.72, $20.42 for a child ages 6-12, and $22.62 for a child ages 13 and up.
The bill also instructs the Director of the Department of Human Services to review the maintenance payment rates annually and authorize further increases if appropriate.
Matriarch Memorial Service For Aubrey Dameron
The Indigenous non-profit ‘Matriarch’ in Oklahoma City held a memorial service for Aubrey Dameron over the weekend.
Dameron would have been 31 this year. But her life was cut short.
The transgender Cherokee woman went missing six years ago before her remains were identified earlier this month.
Her Aunt Pam Fencer remembers her as kind and confident.
“We hope you carry the love you share for Aubrey to everyone else. We may have found her and her story is not over,” Fencer said.
Fencer and other MMIP activists advocated for justice for Dameron and other Indigenous women who have been victims of violence.
“We must now find out who and why this has been done to her,” Fencer said.
But a resounding sentiment collectively shared was her legacy of being fearlessly herself as a transwoman.
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