While war rages on in Iraq, war is also being waged in the U.S. against basic human rights. This year, bills have been introduced in the National Legislature and the Minnesota State Legislature that would limit a woman's right to choice and access to reproductive rights.

The first bill in the Minnesota Legislature is the "Women's Right to Know" bill. This bill would require that women seeking certain reproductive medical procedures must visit an clinic and then wait 24 hours before they can have the procedure performed. Additionally, doctors are mandated to read government-written "Informed Consent" scripts to patients seeking an abortion. This bill would create a roadblock for women seeking safe and legal options. This law unfairly and disproportionately affects low income women, single mothers, young women, women who work, women in abusive relationships and women who do not have access to cars or public transportation. Waiting 24 hours may simply be impossible for many women. Mandatory waiting periods often require women to make at least two trips to a city, often hundreds of miles away from home. Women might be forced to take multiple days off from work, risk loss of employment or leave families unattended.

The second bill in the Minnesota legislature, the "Taxpayers' Protection Act," is referred to by pro-choice advocates as "The Super Gag Rule." This bill would put into law enormous restrictions on the use of family planning funding. The bill prohibits a wide variety of state funds, including all family planning funds, from going to any organization that: provides abortion services; is an affiliate of an organization that provides abortion services; shares a similar name, facilities, or employees as an abortion provider; publicly advocates the legality of abortion or refers patients for abortions. Any organization that believes abortions to be part of the "continuum of family planning services, reproductive health services, or both" or refers patients to abortion will receive no state funding. This bill is deeply problematic as it restricts essential services for women including family planning and restricts free speech by targeting organizations that lobbying the government. This bill targets the very same services that are working to reduce abortion and unplanned pregnancy rates.

Three dollars are saved for every one dollar spent on family planning services. Women need access to complete, nonbiased information and counseling about all available options to make responsible decisions about their health. The women of Iraq are not the only women whose rights are being oppressed. The rights of American women are also under attack.