Tom Daschle Nominated As Secretary of U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services

President-elect Barack Obama has chosen former South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle to take the lead on health care reform as part of his cabinet and as his nominee for the Secretary of Health and Human Services. This is an exciting choice, as Daschle is a respected voice on health care policy and supporter of women's health and women's rights. Read the New York Times story here.

Statement by Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America:

“Tom Daschle is an excellent choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Former Sen. Daschle is a strong advocate for health care reform and understands the need to improve access to quality, affordable health care. We are delighted by his nomination and look forward to working closely with Sen. Daschle on promoting and protecting the full range of women’s health care, including family planning and prevention services.

“We’ve worked closely with Sen. Daschle during his time in the U.S. Senate. Former Sen. Daschle has a strong record of standing up for women’s health and women’s rights and supporting commonsense policies that improve health outcomes for women.

“We also applaud the appointment of Jeanne Lambrew as deputy director of the White House Office of Health Reform. She is one of the leading health policy experts in the country, and someone who is an advocate for women’s health issues and prevention measures.

“We are confident that President-elect Barack Obama, incoming HHS Secretary Daschle, and Jeanne Lambrew will represent an administration committed to ensuring women’s access to affordable, high-quality health care, family planning and prevention services, and to protecting a women's right to choose. Planned Parenthood is excited about the opportunity of having true partners in the White House and HHS committed to promoting and protecting women’s health.”

Technorati tags: Cecile Richards, Planned Parenthood, Tom Daschle, health and human services

"Choose Life" License Plates Blocked

Kudos to Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and her staff for their work in putting an end to this debate. A federal appellate court found in November that Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White is NOT required to produce specialty license plates containing the phrase "Choose Life." This issue had been circling through the court system and the rightful conclusion was finally reached.

According to the Center for Reproductive Rights, as of 2006, thirteen states allowed for the production of "Choose Life" license plates. Specialty license plates such as these require an added cost to customers who purchase them and the excess money raised by sales are used to help fund anti-choice groups. On top of that, such statements blur the line of separation between church and state by implying that the government is involving itself in religious matters or taking a position on the issue of abortion.

Read the full press release from the office of the Attorney General below:

MADIGAN PREVAILS IN SPECIALTY LICENSE PLATE SUIT

Secretary of State Not Required to Issue Special “Choose Life” License Plates

Chicago ─ Attorney General Lisa Madigan successfully convinced a federal appellate court that Secretary of State Jesse White should not be compelled to issue a specialty license plate bearing the slogan “Choose Life.” In November, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ruled that state officials are not violating the First Amendment by declining to issue specialty license plates relating to the subject of abortion.

In its ruling, the Seventh Circuit held that because the state has excluded the “entire subject” of abortion from its specialty license plate program, its decision to reject a “Choose Life” license plate is viewpoint neutral and, thus, permissible under the First Amendment. The Court found that the state’s decision to exclude the subject of abortion from license plates is based on the “reasonable rationale that messages on specialty license plates give the appearance of having the government’s endorsement, and Illinois does not wish to be perceived as endorsing any position on the subject of abortion.”

Choose Life, Inc. initially filed this lawsuit after the Secretary of State’s office denied its request to create the specialty plate. The District Court found in favor of Choose Life, Inc. and ordered the Secretary of State to begin producing the license plates. The Seventh Circuit overturned that ruling, making it clear that the Secretary of State is not required to do so.

Assistant Attorney General Richard Huszagh handled the case for Attorney General Madigan’s Civil Appeals Division.

Technorati tags: Planned Parenthood, choose life license plates, Lisa Madigan, Jesse White

World AIDS Day

December 1st, 2008 marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day, a day in which we focus on awareness and prevention of HIV/AIDS. Officially recognized in 1988 by the World Health Organization (WHO), World AIDS Day brings together governments, organizations, and individuals around the world for one purpose: to stop the spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Read a message from WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan here.

Quick Facts:

- Globally, there were 33 million people living with HIV in 2007

- Young people aged 15-24 account for an estimated 45% of new HIV infections worldwide

- Illinois ranked eighth nationally among states with the largest number of new AIDS cases in 2006

Tips from the US Dept. of Health and Human Services on how to take action in response to HIV/AIDS:

1.) Get tested for HIV
2.) Practice safe methods to prevent HIV
3.) Decide not to engage in high risk behaviors
4.) Talk about HIV prevention with family, friends, and colleagues
5.) Provide support to people living with HIV/AIDS
6.) Get involved with or host an event for World AIDS Day in your community

To find an HIV testing site near you, send a text message with your ZIP code to “KNOWIT” (566948) or visit http://www.hivtest.org/. You can also contact your local Planned Parenthood health center for information on getting tested here.



Click here to check out AIDS Foundation of Chicago President/CEO Mark Ishaug's blog about his hopes on World AIDS Day in The Huffington Post today.

Technorati tags: World AIDS Day, Planned Parenthood, HIV/AIDS prevention