WE BELIEVE:
All people should have the basic right to decide when and if they want to have children.
WE SUPPORT:
People making decisions about family planning, and about continuing or terminating pregnancy, in consultation with their health care provider and their support system. Politicians should not be dictating what reproductive choices are available to them. Â
People having easy access to a full range of affordable reproductive care including obstetrical care, contraception, and safe, legal abortion.
Legislation that allows and protects people’s rights to access the full range of reproductive care including safe, legal, abortion.Â
HUGE SETBACK IN REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS
On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court officially reversed Roe v. Wade, meaning that a national level individuals no longer have a constitutional right to abortion which they have had since 1973. Now it is up to each state to establish laws restricting or protecting abortion.
Our U.S House of Representatives passed the Women’s Health Protection Act last September (2021). This legislation includes legal protections and safeguards for both abortion providers and abortion care patients at the federal level. However this bill didn’t have the 60 vote filibuster-proof threshold needed to pass the U.S. Senate.
At present, many states are in the process of restricting or protecting access to abortion / gender care. Individuals with limited finances having to travel across state lines will face more financial hardships such as paying for travel, childcare, and missing wages from work.
Washington State has strong laws protecting a person’s rights to have the full range of reproductive care and gender care, including a right to privacy. In the 2023-2024 Wa. legislature, several bills are being passed that further protect our body autonomy
As this goes to press, there are dueling court rulings regarding the legality of FDA approval of mifepristone, a medicine used to assist with abortion. This ruling could eliminate or severely limit access to this medication. As of April 14, 2023, this will be sent to the Supreme Court to adjudicate.
OUR STRATEGIES
Presently, our work in reproductive rights advocacy centers on these three areas:
- Advocating for programs and laws to improve living conditions and family resources for children in families below the Federal Poverty Level.
- Calling upon our U.S. senators to take a public stand and use legislative strategies related to family planning legislation to nationally guarantee and protect the right to personal choice.
- Actively supporting the election of strong pro-choice candidates at local, state, and national levels by donating, canvassing, phone banking, and text banking.
Recent Victories
HB 1155: “My Health My Data Act” – Safeguards health data that consumers enter into online apps and prohibits tracking the location of providers by geofencing.
HB 1340: Protects licensed providers of reproductive care and gender-affirming care from disciplinary actions or convictions that are outlawed in other states.
HB 1469: “Shield Law” – Protects providers of reproductive and gender-conforming care and consumers whwo travel from other states from prosecution.
SB 5599: Allows youth shelters to delay contacting youth’s guardians regarding protected health care.
SB 5768: Protecting Access to Abortion Meds – Allows certain pharmacies to dispense mifepristone prescribed by providers for medication abortion from our state stockpile.
