Last year, I published Prenatal Child Support Across the United States, a book w/ original legislation scans for every state/territory going back as far as 1793.

I originally started researching legal history after seeing how the mainstream media gave no effort in research.

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This year, Utah’s legislature expanded (Fig 1) the state’s existing prenatal child support requirements from those of 1996 (Fig 2) & 1997 (Fig 3), bringing the state from the bare minimum Federal requirements (Fig 4) to being at the forefront in the nation.

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Obviously, UT wasn’t the 1st state w/ reqs. (It was 46th.) Yet, the media reported otherwise, using Planned Parenthood & (sometimes) the bill’s sponsor as their sources, rather than actually referencing the Utah Code.

Let this thread serve as a wall-of-shame for lazy media:

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Mostly via @AP writer @SophiaEppolito w/ their own headlines...

@YahooNews (AP)
@NBCNews (AP)
@KCRANews (AP)
@ctvnewschannel (AP)

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@DeseretNews (by @savannahmhops)
@ScaryMommy (by Erica Gerald Mason)
@WNDU (repost of @NBCNews, AP)
@BCNbcn (AP)

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@fox5sandiego (AP) - also asks if CA could have such a law (It has since 1925; Fig 2)
@CNAnewsroom (by @mckeownjonah, also in @NCRegister & @CWorldReport)
@seattletimes (AP)

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@Benefits_PRO (by Alan Goforth)
@ABC4 (by Rick Aaron)
@helenaironline (AP)
@abcnews (AP)

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@nytimes (by Christine Hauser)
@KSLA (AP)
@FoxNews (AP)
@boston25, @ActionNewsJax (AP)

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@USATODAY (AP)
@Cleveland19 (AP)
@Complex (by @ZayMarty)
@KRIS6News (by Nico Smith)

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@WISN12News (AP)
@fox5dc (AP)
@CBS_42 (AP)
@LEX18News (AP)

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@23ABCNews (AP) - also asks if CA could have such a law (It has since 1925; tweet 5, Fig 2)
@KAKEnews (AP)
@WPLGLocal10 (AP)
@B1039Radio (AP, w/ added notes by Joe Winner)

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@newshour (AP)
@Tulsaworld (AP)
@The_Citizen (AP)
@WiStateJournal (AP)

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@JournalNow (AP)
@NewsandRecord (AP)
@mooresvilletrib (AP)
@OWHnews (AP)

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I could go on & on, but I’m sure the point is clear by now. One could give *some* leniency to local affiliates that publish what their national counterparts provide, but major publications like the NY Times, USA Today, ABC, Fox, NBC, etc., don’t even bother to fact check.

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Since numerous publications depends on the AP, it’s also paramount that reports be well-resourced by them so that misinformation doesn’t proliferate.

It’s also interesting that 2 CA publications asked if the state should have any such laws, when it has for a century.

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Kudos to these sources that actually did their research:

@RMissionaries (staff) - Refs other states w/ reqs
@dcexaminer (by @SouthernKeeks) - Refs other UT laws

This one got some parts right on existing laws:

@MotherlyMedia (by Cassandra Stone)

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Since I mentioned my book earlier, here is where you can purchase it:

Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Prenatal-Support-Across-United-States-ebook/dp/B08DFP5GLM/

Apple:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/prenatal-child-support-across-the-united-states/id1524394279

(I plan to have a 3rd edition shortly that includes UT’s new law.)

I also post research for free at https://www.patreon.com/danielgump .

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Also, here is the article I wrote on Utah’s prenatal child support legislation, referencing earlier laws & comparing the state’s requirements to those of other states: https://twitter.com/humandefenseini/status/1390359246253039616