Category: US

A Minnesota jury has ruled that a pharmacy did not discriminate against a woman when it was denied to give her the morning-after pill.

The pharmacist gave “belief” as the reason for refusing to fill the prescription for emergency contraception. Although the jury decided that the woman’s rights had not been violated, it did say that the emotional damage caused by the decision amounted to $25,000.

Gender Justice, a nonprofit legal advocacy, filed the lawsuit on behalf of Andrea Anderson in 2019, although the case did not reach trial until Monday.

Anderson was denied morning-after contraceptive bills by numerous pharmacies, and said she would have to travel 100 miles total to get a pill.

In a statement released by Gender Justice, she expressed concern about the preceding jury’s decision sets and the message it gives to other women seeking emergency contraception.

“What if they accept the pharmacist’s decision and don’t realize that this behavior is wrong? What if they have no other choice? Anderson said. “Not everyone has the means or ability to drive hundreds of thousands to get a prescription filled.”

“Unfortunately, highly personal healthcare decisions such as whether to get pregnant and grow your family are heavily politicized,” said Jess Braverman, legal director at Gender Justice. “It is illegal sex discrimination in the state of Minnesota for a pharmacist to refuse to dispense emergency contraception without, at the very least, ensuring a patient can get their prescription without extra delay and cost to them.”

The verdict comes on the heels of a June decision by the supreme court to overturn the constitutional right to an abortion initially protected in the case of Roe v Wade.

Minnesota still allows abortions legally after the overturning of Roe, and permanently blocked “numerous medically unnecessary restrictions” in July.

Friday’s jury decision coincided with Indiana imposing a near-total ban on abortion, the first state to do so following the overturning of Roe.

Following the passing of that law, the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly said it will be “forced to plan for more employment growth outside our home state”.

“We are concerned that this law will hinder Lilly’s – and Indiana’s – ability to attract diverse scientific, engineering and business talent from around the world,” it said.

Some traditionally conservative states such as West Virginia and South Carolina continue to debate remain in a limbo in terms of coming to a conclusion about their decision on abortions.

Last week, in the nation’s first referendum on abortion since the supreme court decision, voters in Kansas rejected a change to their state constitution protecting abortion rights.

The surprise victory was celebrated as a testament to the desire for abortion rights nationwide, even in Republican-leaning states.

A Minnesota jury has ruled that a pharmacy did not discriminate against a woman when it was denied to give her the morning-after pill.

The pharmacist gave “belief” as the reason for refusing to fill the prescription for emergency contraception. Although the jury decided that the woman’s rights had not been violated, it did say that the emotional damage caused by the decision amounted to $25,000.

Gender Justice, a nonprofit legal advocacy, filed the lawsuit on behalf of Andrea Anderson in 2019, although the case did not reach trial until Monday.

Anderson was denied morning-after contraceptive bills by numerous pharmacies, and said she would have to travel 100 miles total to get a pill.

In a statement released by Gender Justice, she expressed concern about the preceding jury’s decision sets and the message it gives to other women seeking emergency contraception.

“What if they accept the pharmacist’s decision and don’t realize that this behavior is wrong? What if they have no other choice? Anderson said. “Not everyone has the means or ability to drive hundreds of thousands to get a prescription filled.”

“Unfortunately, highly personal healthcare decisions such as whether to get pregnant and grow your family are heavily politicized,” said Jess Braverman, legal director at Gender Justice. “It is illegal sex discrimination in the state of Minnesota for a pharmacist to refuse to dispense emergency contraception without, at the very least, ensuring a patient can get their prescription without extra delay and cost to them.”

The verdict comes on the heels of a June decision by the supreme court to overturn the constitutional right to an abortion initially protected in the case of Roe v Wade.

Minnesota still allows abortions legally after the overturning of Roe, and permanently blocked “numerous medically unnecessary restrictions” in July.

Friday’s jury decision coincided with Indiana imposing a near-total ban on abortion, the first state to do so following the overturning of Roe.

Following the passing of that law, the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly said it will be “forced to plan for more employment growth outside our home state”.

“We are concerned that this law will hinder Lilly’s – and Indiana’s – ability to attract diverse scientific, engineering and business talent from around the world,” it said.

Some traditionally conservative states such as West Virginia and South Carolina continue to debate remain in a limbo in terms of coming to a conclusion about their decision on abortions.

Last week, in the nation’s first referendum on abortion since the supreme court decision, voters in Kansas rejected a change to their state constitution protecting abortion rights.

The surprise victory was celebrated as a testament to the desire for abortion rights nationwide, even in Republican-leaning states.

US Senate Democrats on Saturday were set to push ahead on a bill that would address key elements of President Joe Biden’s agenda, tackling climate change, lowering the cost of energy and senior citizens’ drugs and forcing the wealthy to pay more taxes.

A Senate rulemaker determined that the lion’s share of the $430bn bill could be passed with only a simple majority, bypassing a filibuster rule requiring 60 votes in the 100-seat chamber to advance most legislation and enabling Democrats to pass it over Republican objections, majority leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement.

Democrats hope that the legislation will give a boost to their candidates in the 8 November midterm elections in which Biden’s party is in an uphill battle to retain its narrow control of the Senate and House of Representatives.

“Democrats have received extremely good news,” Schumer said in the statement. “Medicare will finally be allowed to negotiate drug prices…This is a major victory for the American people.”

Medicare is the government health insurance program for people age 65 and older.

There are three main parts to the bill: a 15% minimum tax on corporations, tougher IRS enforcement and a new excise tax on stock buybacks. The legislation has $430 billion in new spending along with raising more than $740 billion in new revenues.

Besides billions of dollars to encourage the production and purchase of more electric vehicles and foster clean energy, the bill would set $4 billion in new federal drought relief funds. The latter is a move that could help the re-election campaigns of Democratic Senators Catherine Cortez Masto in Nevada and Mark Kelly in Arizona.

Republicans have promised to do everything they can to stall or block the bill, with Senator Lindsey Graham on Friday calling the legislation “this jihad they’re on to tax and spend.”

Democrats aim to push the bill through the Senate using an arcane and complicated “reconciliation” procedure allowing passage without any Republican support in the chamber divided 50-50 between the parties, with the Democrats in control because Kamala Harris, the vice-president, can cast a tie-breaking vote.

One provision cut from the bill would have forced drug companies to refund money to both government and private health plans if drug prices rise more quickly than inflation. The Senate arbitrator, known as the parliamentarian, ruled that measure could not apply to private industry.

Saturday will kick off an arduous process that could extend into early next week, with senators offering amendment after amendment in a time-consuming “vote-a-rama.”

Senators on the left such as Bernie Sanders are likely to try to expand the scope of the bill to include new programs such as federal subsidies for childcare or home healthcare for the elderly. Republicans have signaled that they will offer plenty of amendments touching on another issue: immigrants coming across the US border with Mexico.

US Senate Democrats on Saturday were set to push ahead on a bill that would address key elements of President Joe Biden’s agenda, tackling climate change, lowering the cost of energy and senior citizens’ drugs and forcing the wealthy to pay more taxes.

A Senate rulemaker determined that the lion’s share of the $430bn bill could be passed with only a simple majority, bypassing a filibuster rule requiring 60 votes in the 100-seat chamber to advance most legislation and enabling Democrats to pass it over Republican objections, majority leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement.

Democrats hope that the legislation will give a boost to their candidates in the 8 November midterm elections in which Biden’s party is in an uphill battle to retain its narrow control of the Senate and House of Representatives.

“Democrats have received extremely good news,” Schumer said in the statement. “Medicare will finally be allowed to negotiate drug prices…This is a major victory for the American people.”

Medicare is the government health insurance program for people age 65 and older.

There are three main parts to the bill: a 15% minimum tax on corporations, tougher IRS enforcement and a new excise tax on stock buybacks. The legislation has $430 billion in new spending along with raising more than $740 billion in new revenues.

Besides billions of dollars to encourage the production and purchase of more electric vehicles and foster clean energy, the bill would set $4 billion in new federal drought relief funds. The latter is a move that could help the re-election campaigns of Democratic Senators Catherine Cortez Masto in Nevada and Mark Kelly in Arizona.

Republicans have promised to do everything they can to stall or block the bill, with Senator Lindsey Graham on Friday calling the legislation “this jihad they’re on to tax and spend.”

Democrats aim to push the bill through the Senate using an arcane and complicated “reconciliation” procedure allowing passage without any Republican support in the chamber divided 50-50 between the parties, with the Democrats in control because Kamala Harris, the vice-president, can cast a tie-breaking vote.

One provision cut from the bill would have forced drug companies to refund money to both government and private health plans if drug prices rise more quickly than inflation. The Senate arbitrator, known as the parliamentarian, ruled that measure could not apply to private industry.

Saturday will kick off an arduous process that could extend into early next week, with senators offering amendment after amendment in a time-consuming “vote-a-rama.”

Senators on the left such as Bernie Sanders are likely to try to expand the scope of the bill to include new programs such as federal subsidies for childcare or home healthcare for the elderly. Republicans have signaled that they will offer plenty of amendments touching on another issue: immigrants coming across the US border with Mexico.