Supreme Court rulings jolt women’s groups into action
The Boston Globe
Supreme Court rulings jolt women’s groups into action
Candidates’ stances on issues scrutinized
By Akilah Johnson | Globe Staff July 07, 2014
(excerpt)
Two recent Supreme Court cases — striking down Massachusetts’ abortion clinic buffer zone law and the federal requirement that employers cover contraception — have energized Massachusetts voters, politicians, and women’s organizations around issues of women’s health.
Hundreds have rushed to volunteer at the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, which supports abortion rights. At the same time, Anne Fox, president of Massachusetts Citizens for Life, which opposes abortion rights, said her thank you notes to large donors have tripled. But for the most part, passions are crystallizing into a movement of women, both Democratic and Republican in a state that overwhelmingly supports abortion rights, who see the rulings as an encroachment.
There are legislative seats open, gubernatorial candidates running for office, and a host of constitutional officers on the ballot come November, and some voters say they will be paying more attention to where candidates stand on women’s health issues.
“They are going to come out swinging,” said Erin O’Brien, a professor at University of Massachusetts Boston whose research includes women and politics....
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