Vital Signs: Gosnell gets added sentence

Pill pusher. Philadelphia Dr. Kermit Gosnell, 72, received 30 years in prison and a $50,000 fine Monday for illegally distributing painkillers like OxyContin. The 30-year sentence comes after his May 2013 sentence of life in prison for killing three babies born alive during illegal abortions. After the murder trial, he pleaded guilty to charges that he illegally distributed what prosecutors called a “staggering” amount of painkillers, many of which were later sold on the street by addicts and drug dealers. “This was not a doctor treating people for pain,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Natali said. “He was filling prescriptions on demand, with zero oversight.”

Catch phrase. A federal judge delayed ruling on a trademark infringement lawsuit the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) filed against the pro-life Radiance Foundation leader Ryan Bomberger until Jan. 20, 2014. The NAACP threatened suit on Jan. 28 of this year shortly after Bomberger, who is black, published an opinion article in which he dubbed the NAACP the “National Association for the Abortion of Colored People.” According to the Radiance Foundation, Bomberger has used the phrase for several years. He criticizes the NAACP for supporting abortion and Planned Parenthood. The Radiance Foundation responded to the threat four days later by requesting a judicial declaration on the group’s free-speech right to use satire. As LifeNews points out, satirists like the blog Honest Slogans often employ similar tactics. The NAACP later filed a trademark infringement countersuit April 4.

Buyer beware. Michigan’s state legislature passed a bill Dec. 11 banning most abortion coverage in the government’s healthcare exchange plans. Women desiring an abortion in Michigan must purchase an optional rider prior to pregnancy unless they are dealing with ectopic pregnancies, miscarriages, or cases threatening the mother’s life. When buying insurance, “you have to decide if you believe in abortion enough that you’d choose it someday,” said Ed Rivet, the Michigan Right to Life legislative director. Michigan’s Republican Gov. Rick Snyder vetoed the original legislation in 2012, but a petition spearheaded by Michigan Right to Life gained more than 315,000 signatures to resurrect it. The state has a constitutional provision for passing vetoed bills without the governor’s signature, according to Politico. Twenty-three other states have passed similar legislation, and Michigan’s bill takes effect in 90 days, according to Politico.

Planned un-Parenthood. The latest annual report of Planned Parenthood found that more than 90 percent of its funds were spent on abortions. The organization performed 327,166 abortions for 11 percent of its clients in 2012, according to the report. That means over the 3-year period of 2010-2012, Planned Parenthood performed nearly 1 million abortions, the Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List) reported. For every 149 abortions, Planned Parenthood only offered one adoption referral, a 4.5 percent decline from the previous year, according to the SBA List analysis. Planned Parenthood’s prenatal care services also declined 32 percent over the previous year. Government sources provide 45 percent, or $540.6 million of Planned Parenthood’s funding, which totals more than $1.2 billion. “Planned Parenthood claims to be a trusted health care provider to women and girls, but their numbers tell a different story,” SBA List president Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement. “Planned Parenthood is a business whose entire mission is to profit off of abortion.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.