2 The Daily Tar HeelTuesday, December 8, 1992
Court leaves Mississippi abortion waiting period law intact
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON In a setback for
abortion rights advocates, the Supreme
Court Monday refused to revive a chal
lenge to a Mississippi law that requires
women to receive counseling and then
wait 24 hours before ending their preg
nancies. The justices, without comment, left
intact a ruling that denied abortion clinic
operators a hearing when they tried to
block the law before it took effect in
August.
Monday's action, although it is not a
decision on the merits of the Missis
sippi dispute and sets no national prece
dent, represents a significant rebuff for
abortion rights advocates.
A federal appeals court threw out the
Mississippi challenge last August after
noting the Supreme Court had upheld
Pennsylvania's nearly identical abor
tion regulations in June.
In that landmark decision, the jus
tices said states may not outlaw most
abortions or impose "undue burdens"
on women's constitutional right to such
operations.
Last week, the court refused to re
vive a Guam law that would have made
almost all abortions illegal.
But the June ruling also gave states
greater leeway to regulate abortions,
eroding some aspects of the court's
1973 Roe vs. Wade decision that legal
ized abortion nationwide.
The justices in June upheld Pennsyl
vania regulations that required similar
counseling and the same 24-hour wait
ing period for women seeking abor
tions.
In the appeal acted on Monday, law
yers for three doctors and two abortion
clinics in Jackson said regulations found
to be lawful in one state might be "un
due burdens" in another.
"Fundamental fairness demands that
the presence or absence of an undue
burden be determined in each case on a
record that specifically focuses on the
burdens of women affected by the chal
lenged law, not on a record developed
in another case," the appeal argued.
It added: "The effect of this harsh law
is compounded by the lack of abortion
services in most of Mississippi, the long
distances that more than half of Missis
sippi women must travel to obtain abor
tions, and the extraordinary poverty of
Mississippi women."
Rachel Pine, a lawyer with the Cen
ter for Reproductive Law and Policy,
said Monday's action meant "that the
undue-burden standard adopted . . . last
summer is more fiction than justice for
women in Mississippi."
She added, "What it means is we
have to wait and see how many women
are forced to have children against their
will, and once we figure out how many,
then we can go back to court."
Pine said the court's action carried a
"frightening implication for women all
across the nation who in the future want
to use the undue-burden standard ... to
protect their choice."
But Burke Balch of the National Right
to Life Committee said the ruling
showed the court did not believe "that
there should be endless litigation over
whether women have the right to know
the facts about the development of the
unborn child and about alternatives to
abortion."
There are only three abortion clinics
in Mississippi the two in Jackson and
one in Southaven. The appeal said nearly
half of the state's women must travel
more than 100 miles to reach an abor
tion clinic. The justices also were told
that Mississippi has the lowest median
household income in the nation, and the
highest percentage of children living in
poverty.
In its August ruling, the 5th U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals said, "The
differences between the Mississippi and
Pennsylvania acts are not sufficient to
render the former unconstitutional on
its face."
The ruling left open the door to chal
lenge the Mississippi law as it is ap
plied, but lawyers for the three doctors
and two clinics said that forces women
"to suffer grievous harm before vindi
cation of their constitutional rights." ;
Mississippi Attorney General Mike
Moore urged the justices to reject the
appeal.
Allowing evidence hearings for chal
lenges of provisions already upheld in
other states would require courts in each
state "to litigate various and sundry
demographic 'facts' ... before the fa
cial constitutionality of the identical
statutes could be established," Moore
said. He called the 5th Circuit court's
ruling "the only possible outcome" in
light of the Supreme Court ' s decision in
June.
Congress
fro-w 'Wouldn't be prudent5: Hush, Carvey share the laughs
gress is 'it,'" she said. "What we have
now is people and groups of people in
congress who vote because of what they
think.
"I really think that we should be
much more focused on serving our stu
dents than on our own political agen
das. I think there's a fear in the congress
that student fees are going to be used in
ways that don' t benefit groups that con
gress members belong to."
Rep. Andrew Cohen, Dist. 6, said he
thought the low opinion students had of
congress was putting pressure on repre
sentatives to improve communication
with their constituencies. "I think a lot
of skepticism is really healthy," Cohen
said.
"We're spending people's money.
This kind of skepticism makes us ac
countable to the student body."
Kolb, Dist. 1, said he thought the
nature of campus districts had changed.
Because a majority of UNC students
now live off campus, it is becoming
more difficult for representatives to
serve their entire constituency, he said.
"I think it's just changed over the
years as the school has become more
graduate-oriented," Kolb said. 'Tradi
tional students are not an overwhelm
ing majority anymore."
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON The White
House staff, from cooks to chieftains,
assembled on short notice Monday for a
special Christmas ceremony. The Ma
rine Band broke into "Ruffles and Flour
ishes" to signal the arrival of the presi
dent. And into the East Room strode Dana
Carvey, trailed by George Bush.
"Saturday Night Live" had come to
the White House.
For 10 minutes the president and his
staff roared with laughter as the comic
from late-night television performed his
full impression of manic Bush jokes
and gestures, with a little Ross Perot to
boot.
It was a welcome break in a mansion
whose occupants have not had much to
laugh about since Election Day.
'This is very, very strange," said
Carvey, who noted that he spent the
night in the Lincoln Bedroom.
"I couldn't resist getting on the phone,
and I called up the Secret Service as the
president: 'Feel like going jogging to
night. "In the nude,'" he quipped.
Carvey demonstrated how he melds
Cabinet
the voices of John Wayne and Mr.
Rogers together to achieve his Bush.
"We've had a lot of fun over the
years," said Carvey.
"The president uses a lot of different
gestures .... Of course, I completely
exaggerated it," he confessed.
"I always said that the president said,
'IT'S BAD! IT'S BAD!' But you only
did it once. I did it for four years. He did
it once," he laughed.
"Every guy I do an impression of is
sort of leaving public life," lamented
Carvey, lapsing into a snippet of Johnny
from page 1
Carson.
Barbara Bush got up, wished the
crowd a merry Christmas and dead
panned, "Wasn't he lucky I didn't hit
him right on the head?"
And when Bush finally got a chance
at the microphone, the president joked
self-consciously, "Don't dare move my
hands."
Campus Calendar
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for such dealing, Pekarek said.
"Overall, the Drug Cabinet has raised
awareness about the drug problem," she
said. "Particularly in areas that are
heavily affected such as schools or pub
lic housing."
Pekarek said she did not know
whether Martin had spoken to Hunt
about the Drug Cabinet.
"He's talked to Hunt about a number
of things," she said. "He believes if the
program has been successful, the in
coming governor should continue the
program."
TUESDAY
5 p.m. UNC Joggling Chib will meet in Carmichad
Ballroom.
6:30 p.m. Order of the Bell Tower will meet in
212 Union.
7 pjB. CUAB will welcome Killian Manning to
hold a workshop on reducing stress in the Union
Cabana.
Cellar Door will have a meeting for all members of
the prose and poetry staffs in 205 Union.
ITEMS OF INTEREST
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Phillips until Wednesday.
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SENIORS
MAKE
THE
CAREER CONNECTION
The UNC General Alumni Association and
The 1993 Senior Class
invite you to attend any of the five
Alumni-Senior Career Connections during Winter Break!
Meet Carolina alumni from a variety of career fields
Begin the networking process in your career search
Make connections with possible future employers
Discuss your post-graduation plans with alumni
Don't bring resumes - bring questions!
Monday, January 4, 1993
6:00 PM -8:00 PM
Tuesday, January 5, 1993
5:30 PM -7:30 PM
Atlanta
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Charlotte
One First Union Center
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Wednesday, January 6, 1993 Triad Area
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Thursday, January 7, 1993 Triangle Area
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