Las Vegans balk at blackballing abortion on Internet

Bob Shemeligian

Friday, March 29, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

Local women's groups say the Telecommunications Act passed last month by Congress makes it illegal to talk about abortion on the Internet.

But there has been plenty of talk about the new law -- mostly at the West Charleston Boulevard branch of Planned Parenthood of Southern Nevada.

"This is a legal medical procedure," Jeanne Maust of the Nevada Women's Lobby said at a news conference Thursday. "The public -- the medical profession -- has a right to address abortion on the Internet."

"This bill prevents people from obtaining information about specific abortion procedures over the Internet," said Keith Tierney, president-elect of Planned Parenthood. "The way it is now, if I want to seek new information about medical procedures over the computer, I can't do it."

Said attorney Kathleen England, a board member of Planned Parenthood, "It's akin to telling people they can't talk about a tooth extraction."

The four members of Nevada's congressional delegation supported the Telecommunications Act, but Sens. Richard Bryan and Harry Reid, D-Nev., have indicated they would support a proposed amendment by Rep. Pat Schroeder, D-Colo., and Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., to eliminate the ban on abortion information over the Internet.

So far, Reps. Barbara Vucanovich and John Ensign, R-Nev., have not indicated whether they will support a bill to eliminate the ban.

"We are hopeful that Congresswoman Vucanovich will appreciate the constitutional infirmities of this bill and will support the amendment," England said.

Local women's health care officials believe the abortion information ban on the Internet was "slipped into" the Telecommunications Act by "religious political extremists."

Maust explained that historically, pro-life advocates have been unsuccessful in their battle against the rights of women to obtain abortions, and so they have changed their tactics. Instead, they attempt to "erode the availability" of legal abortions.

"Rather than going through the front door, they have chosen to go through the back door by trying to restrict access to abortion," Maust said. "By restricting procedures, by trying to drive practitioners out of business through harassment, by limiting abortions to certain age groups or to the rich, they can accomplish this."

Karen Layne, president of the Southern Nevada Women's Political Caucus, explained that the Telecommunications Bill was drafted to address the wide-ranging changes in the telecommunications industry through de-regulation.

Layne said scores of lawsuits have been filed by computer companies and civil rights groups to repeal sections of the act.

Anne Golonka, president of the Southern Nevada chapter of the National Organization for Women, added, "Not only does the act prohibit discussion of abortion on the Internet, but it classifies abortion under 'obscenity,' which is a novel concept."