REGIONAL NEWS
This page last updated 6-5-26
Dated News Articles are generally available for about 2 months.
Colorado School Refuses
to Allow Student to Read
Her Pro-Life Poem in Class
LifeNews.com | Steven Ertelt | 5-20-26 | CO
A 13-year-old seventh-grader at Drake Middle School in Colorado’s Jefferson County Public Schools was barred from reading her pro-life slam poem aloud in class along with other students.
She was prevented even though staff acknowledged it met all assignment requirements, according to the student’s family.
The assignment asked students to write and present slam poetry about a world conflict they felt passionate about. The girl chose the topic of abortion and prepared a poem that referenced biblical verses, Dr. Seuss literature and statistics on abortions since Roe v. Wade.
School staff told the family the poem satisfied every rubric criterion but could not be read aloud because it was “offensive,” “politically charged” and might make other students feel “unsafe,” the family said. CLICK HERE to read more of the story and to access the link to the video where the student reads her poem online.
Iowa Governor Signs Bill
to Ban Mail-Order Abortions
LifeNews.com | Steven Ertelt | 5-20-26 | Iowa
Gov. Kim Reynolds signed legislation Tuesday banning the distribution of abortion-inducing drugs through the mail in Iowa.
The new law would require women seeking chemical abortions to obtain the dangerous baby-killing pills only after an in-person visit with a physician.
The bill, House File 2788, takes effect July 1. It mandates that drugs such as mifepristone and misoprostol be prescribed and dispensed only in a health care setting following an in-person appointment.
The measure also clarifies that treatments for miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies cannot be construed as abortions under state law.
Republican legislators who supported the policy said it is designed to stop the distribution of abortion medications through the mail from unlicensed and unregulated sources. CLICK HERE for the rest of this article.
Oklahoma Governor Signs Bill
to Stop Abortion Pill Trafficking
LifeNews.com | Steven Ertelt | 5-20-26
Oklahoma City, OK
Oklahoma has become the latest state to tackle mail-order abortions.
Gov. Kevin Stitt signed House Bill 1168 into law, making the trafficking of abortion-inducing drugs a felony in Oklahoma. A ceremonial signing was held May 19 with lawmakers and pro-life supporters.
The legislation, authored by Rep. Denise Crosswhite Hader, R-Piedmont, and Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, creates a felony offense for anyone who knowingly possesses or delivers abortion-inducing drugs — including mifepristone, misoprostol and methotrexate — to someone who intends to use them for an unlawful abortion.
Convicted offenders face up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $100,000, or both.
“Abortion is already illegal in Oklahoma other than to protect the life of a mother in an emergency,” Crosswhite Hader said. “What has happened, however, since that has become law in our state, is that people are trafficking abortion-inducing drugs to women who are already in a vulnerable state. That’s unscrupulous, and it needs to stop.” CLICK HERE to read more of this story.
Indiana Supreme Court
Rejects Planned Parenthood Abortion Ban Challenge
LifeNews.com | Liberty Counsel
May 20, 2026 | Indianapolis, Indiana
Last week, the Indiana Supreme Court voted 4-1 to reject Planned Parenthood’s legal challenge to the state’s near-total abortion ban and leave in place a lower court ruling that found the ban constitutional. The Indiana Supreme Court denied the abortion giant’s request to take the case after the state appeals court upheld a 2024 circuit court decision that ruled the abortion ban’s very narrow exceptions do not prevent doctors from providing appropriate medical treatment for any specific medical conditions.
Indiana’s pro-life law bans most abortions, with exceptions for rape, incest, medical emergencies in the first 10 weeks, or fetal anomalies “incompatible with sustained life” up to 20 weeks.
Indiana was the first state to enact an abortion ban after the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade, while other states had “trigger” bans passed beforehand that went into immediate effect when Dobbs was handed down.
Planned Parenthood argued the abortion ban presented several circumstances where the life and health of a woman are at risk due to pregnancy where an abortion would be necessary. However, Monroe Circuit Court Special Judge Kelsey Hanlon found that Indiana’s abortion ban did not infringe on the rights of any patient or medical provider to any protected medical care.
“Plaintiffs have not shown an instance where an abortion is necessary to treat a serious health risk but would also fall outside of the Health and Life Exception,” wrote Judge Hanlon. His ruling further noted that the law’s “Health and Life Exception” permits doctors to exercise “reasonable medical judgment” for determining whether abortion is necessary when a woman’s life is at risk. CLICK HERE for additional information in the article.
Colorado Judge Orders Release
of Full Autopsy Report on Teen
Who Died From Abortion Complications
Zeale.co - Hannah Hiester - May 19, 2026
A Colorado district judge last month ordered a coroner to release an unredacted autopsy report of a teen who died in 2025 of complications from a second-trimester abortion, a legal victory that pro-life groups have touted as a win for transparency surrounding abortions.
The case began in February 2025 after 18-year-old Lexi Arguello underwent a surgical abortion at a Colorado Planned Parenthood facility nearly 22 weeks into her pregnancy, pro-life organization Operation Rescue stated in a press release.
A complication that developed just hours after the abortion required Arguello to be hospitalized, but Operation Rescue said public testimony indicates Planned Parenthood waited too long to call 911. The abortion facility eventually requested a “silent siren” ambulance in order to avoid attention, therefore delaying Arguello’s arrival at the hospital. Arguello died at the hospital shortly thereafter. CLICK HERE to read the full story.
Pennsylvania Court Would Force Taxpayers to Fund Abortions
LifeNews.com | Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation
Apr. 20, 2026 | Harrisburg, PA
Taxpayers would be forced to pay for abortions in Pennsylvania, under an order from the PA Commonwealth Court.
“This is a miscarriage of justice for taxpayers, mothers, and babies throughout Pennsylvania,” said Maria V. Gallagher, executive director of the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation, the Keystone State affiliate of National Right to Life.
“No taxpayer should be forced to pay for the taking of an innocent, unrepeatable human life. This decision represents a sweeping violation of individual conscience protections and could cause the abortion rate to skyrocket in our Commonwealth,” Gallagher added.
Research consistently shows that, when taxpayer funding of abortion occurs, abortion totals climb exponentially. Public opinion polls also indicate the vast majority of Americans oppose taxpayer funding of abortion.
“This is a tragic day for Pennsylvania. We grieve for the lives that will be lost and the hearts that will be broken as a result of this deeply-flawed ruling,” Gallagher said.
CLICK HERE to read more.