Legislative Update The Freedom of Choice Act Our top legislative priority at the opening of the 103rd Congress will be the passage of the Freedom of Choice Act without weakening amendments. It is imperative that the bill move quickly to the floor, before state legislatures, urged on by anti-choice extremists, enact restrictions such as those upheld by the Supreme Court in the Casey decision. Rep. Don Edwards (D-CA) and Senator George Mitchell (D-ME) are expected to reintroduce the bill. In the Courts Supreme Court Rejects Test of Undue Burden in Barnes v. Moore By refusing to hear an appeal of a Fifth Circuit Court decision, the Supreme Court allowed Mississippi to enforce a law passed in 1991 over Governor MabusÕ veto that would impose anti-choice counseling and 24 hour waiting period requirements on women seeking abortion. The CourtÕs decision extends an invitation to other states to impose anti-choice restrictions on the freedom to choose and test the limits of the undue burden standard adopted in Casey. The decision is a significant setback that will render the right to choose meaningless for many women. Guam Criminal Abortion Statute Fails In a 6-3 vote the Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from a Federal appellate court ruling that found GuamÕs extreme anti-abortion law unconstitutional. The courtÕs action reaffirmed its June ruling in Casey which held that states may impose restrictions to abortion but may not outlaw the procedure. The ruling could have serious implications for cases involving stringent abortion control pending on appeal from Louisiana and Utah. The Guam law that was struck down would have outlawed all abortions except to save the life of the mother, would have imposed criminal penalties on physicians who performed the procedure, and even prohibited speech about abortions. Indeed, the case arose as a result of the arrest of Janet Benshoof, Center for Reproductive Law and Policy, for reading aloud a list of Hawaii abortion providers to a Guam audience. Appeals Court Stalls Gag Rule On November 3. the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled that the Bush administrationÕs directive protecting doctors from the gag ruleÕs speech restrictions had been issued without following the necessary notice and comment provisions of federal law. Although technically the rule could be re-implemented, which became effective on October 1, the ruling probably stalls implementation completely because President-elect Clinton has promised to lift the gag rule through executive order. Law Suit Filed Against Bogus Clinics Planned Parenthood of San Diego & Riverside Counties and an anonymous woman filed suit in San Diego Superior Court against four fake clinics run by anti-abortion groups. According to the complaint filed on 10/26, the bogus clinics have been administering pregnancy tests, offering medical advice and performing laboratory testing without a license. In the State Legislature AB 1097 (Lee) Clinic Harassment Any person acting alone or with a group who tries to prevent an effective Ōmorning afterĶ pill. The new study means that RU486 could be used to prevent pregnancy in the hours after intercourse rather than to abort the fetus during the weeks following fertilization and implantation. Family planning experts hope that the new use for the drug will help shift the debate away from its use as an abortifacient. RU 486 is currently available in France, Britain, Sweden and China. The drug is not approved for sale in this country and an FDA import ban prohibits its importation even for personal use. The drugÕs manufacturer, Russel-Uclaf of France, has cited anti-choice threats of retaliation and boycotts as the primary reason for its reluctance to apply for FDA approval to market the drug in the US.o .