Take Action for Texas Women
The state legislative leadership has once again let down the working families of Texas. In an irrational and unprecedented move, the extremist leadership has carelessly diverted critical health care funding that thousands of Texas women rely upon.

These riders were authored by anti-choice extremists Senator Tommy Williams (R-The Woodlands) and Senator Bob Deuell (R-Greenville). This is a clear attempt to disrupt and dismantle an already-underfunded family planning program, which only provides services to an estimated 16% of Texas women in need.

Senator Deuell is a family physician who has been honored by the Texas Academy of Family Physicians and the Texas Medical Association. It is unacceptable that an elected official with a license to practice medicine would allow politics to trump health care.

Take action on behalf of the women across the state who depend on the family planning program to stay healthy. Send an email TODAY to your local legislators.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Politics Should Not Trump Health Care
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
RE: Family Planning Funding Rider 81 by Senator Deuell and Special Budget Provisions relating to HHS Agencies, Section 50, by Senator Williams
In the Legislature's efforts to divert funding away from trusted health care providers, it has dismantled and disrupted an already underfunded family planning program, which only provides services to an estimated 16% of Texas women in need.
It is appalling that the Legislature would work so hard to eliminate access to family planning services for so many Texas women in need. Personal politics has trumped sound health care policy. We hope you will do what you can next session to reverse the harmful effects of these laws.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
January 19, 2006

Background Information

Meet Tanya, a patient at Planned Parenthood's clinic in East Austin, where operating hours have been cut in half in order to absorb a 45% cut. Following is an excerpt from her reaction to the news that she was no longer eligible for services:

Overnight one of the safest, most reliable, most critical social services vanished. All patients over 24 years old have to find new clinics. I stood waiting for the chance of one more pack of birth control pills, asking questions answered with shrugs and apologies, watching faces full of desperation.

I want to see those lawmakers walk into clinics all over this state and have the guts to tell a room full of women, "sorry, go home and buy condoms" or "sorry, you were meant to have those children but you're on your own to figure out the rest." I want them to watch women lose the thread of hope they were gripping.

So now what? The truth is I don't know what to do. I do know nothing will be done if people don't know. So start talking with one another, start talking to the women in your lives. Call Planned Parenthood and ask what you can do.

Tanya's story is not unique to Austin. Patients of Planned Parenthood and many other health care providers all over the state are facing the same dilemma. Go to www.plannedparenthood.org to find your local Planned Parenthood.

Planned Parenthood of the Texas Capital Region ~ Planned Parenthood Association of Cameron and Willacy Counties, Inc. ~ Planned Parenthood of South Texas, Inc. ~ Planned Parenthood of North Texas, Inc. ~ Planned Parenthood of Houston and Southeast Texas, Inc. ~ Planned Parenthood Association of Lubbock, Inc. ~ Planned Parenthood Association of Hidalgo County, Inc. ~ Planned Parenthood of West Texas, Inc. ~ Planned Parenthood of San Antonio and South Central Texas, Inc. ~ Planned Parenthood of Central Texas, Inc. ~ Planned Parenthood of Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle