Tell Governor Brewer to VETO HB2564!

TAKE ACTION NOW to Protect Women's Health in Arizona! 

On June 23rd, after giving the public less than ten minutes notice, the Arizona Senate voted 16 to 12, with two Senators not voting, to pass HB2564, a far-reaching, broad bill that will undermine the ability of women to access abortion care. The Senators suspended their own rules so their vote could fly under the radar, to further restrict a woman’s access to reproductive care, thus showing a reckless disregard for the health of the women in our state.  Click here to see how each Senator voted.

Now that HB2564 has passed the Senate, it will be sent to Governor Brewer. We know that Governor Brewer and the majority in the state legislature are not interested in protecting the health of women in our state by supporting such common sense solutions as comprehensive sexuality education and access to information.  Instead, Governor Brewer directed the Arizona Department of Health Services to request more than a million dollars from the federal government to promote abstinence-only-until-marriage and then banned Planned Parenthood from participating in the Women's Health Expos last month, denying women access to information from the leading provider of women's sexual and reproductive health services in Arizona.

This is our last chance to stop HB2564!  Please tell Governor Jan Brewer to VETO HB2564!

As well, please call the Governor at 602-542-4331!

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Please VETO HB2564!

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

As your constituent and an Arizona voter, I am writing to you today to urge you to VETO HB 2564, the bill that seeks to deny women access to abortion care.

This bill will do absolutely nothing other than increase costs, prevent access and erect barriers to health care. If we really want to make a difference in the number of unplanned pregnancies in Arizona, we must provide people with the vital information necessary to prevent unintended pregnancies from occurring in the first place.

HB 2564 is a broad, far-reaching bill designed to restrict women's access to reproductive health care and birth control. It contains a number of draconian components that do nothing but interfere with a woman's right to obtain abortion care.

Everything from mandated, biased counseling and a government imposed waiting period, to allowing medical providers and hospitals to deny critical health care services and information is included in this bill. Medical professionals are even allowed to refuse information about and access to emergency contraception.

This bill creates undue burdens in accessing care that do not apply to any other medical procedures.

We all want to reduce the need for abortion, but we must address this problem at its root, by addressing the epidemic that is unplanned pregnancy.

Please VETO HB2564.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
June 23, 2009


Background Information

HB2564:

HB2564 mounts multiple ideologically-driven attacks on women’s right to choose safe, legal abortion and even on access to contraception. Under the guise of protecting the health and safety of women seeking abortion care, this bill creates numerous obstacles to women's ability to access the full range of reproductive-health options.

This bill will create an undue burden for women attempting to access care in rural areas by adding additional costs such as child care, travel and lost wages.  For instance, a woman coming from Yuma County to access care would spend an average $523.08 in additional costs as abortion care would no longer be available in that county.  Additional costs include travel (362 miles roundtrip), lodging and meals, child care, lost wages; all costs associated with the lack of providers and the 24 hour waiting period, necessitating an overnight trip or two roundtrip visits.

This bill inserts government interference in the doctor/patient relationship, and will mandate the health care information women receive.

As a result of these restrictions, women will delay their abortion care, increasing their health risks.

This bill does not solve any problems, these legislators want abortion care to be more expensive and less accessible, and as a result, it will be more dangerous.

This bill goes too far, is too extreme and puts women at risk with no regard for their well-being.