Letter to the Editor: Alabama Callous to Women's Health Care

Originally published in the Albany Times Union on June 4, 2019

The majority of Americans are outraged at the hatred sweeping across Republican-controlled states. Alabama is the most recent extreme example of denying women health care. The callousness of the legislators is stunning. Women's lives will be in jeopardy, but they don't care.

If these legislators truly cared about saving lives, they should be working to fix a worsening health care problem in their state, not dismantling what little access to health care Alabamians have left. Watching the 25 white, male state senators who voted, it is clear they just want to control women and not allow them to have control over their own bodies and lives. Their hypocrisy is incredible since there are no laws restricting men's access to any form of health care. Medical decisions for a patient should be made by the patient and her doctor, not politicians.

This is a concerted effort to ban abortions. It is an attack on all women and everyone who loves them. Nearly a dozen states have passed restrictions or bans on abortion so far this year. With President Donald Trump in the White House and Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court, state politicians are emboldened to try to fully ban safe, legal abortion. It is a scary time to be a woman.

People across the country want more health care, not less. They want representatives who will fight the unethical Title X gag rule and increase support for crucial public health programs like sexually transmitted infections testing/treatment, cancer screenings and other essential care furnished by quality providers such as Planned Parenthood.

Cathie Love

Letter to the Editor: Protect women's right to abortion

Hi everyone! I just wanted to share this letter to the editor of the Times Union, written by a loyal donor and advocate for Planned Parenthood on our behalf.  Read it at TimesUnion.com or just continue on after the jump.

Your Boss Can Now Decide If You Can Have Access to Birth Control.

From Planned Parenthood Action:

BREAKING: The Supreme Court just issued a ruling that will take birth control out of the hands of women who need it. Their decision gives employers the power to deny women the new birth control benefits of the Affordable Care Act — allowing bosses to force their personal beliefs on employees.

This isn't over. We’re not going to let a handful of extreme bosses and politicians turn back the clock — we’re moving forward, not backward, and we're not done fighting for women's access to birth control.

National Journal: "Why Abortion-Rights Activists Should Fear the Supreme Court"

A rather unsettling article appeared in the National Journal yesterday, and I won't sully it with excess commentary.  I just would like to take a moment to remind everyone of how fortunate we are to live in New York, but the ripple effect of an unfavorable ruling from the Supreme Court could be disastrous, even for us.  Therefore, without further ado, I recommend you all read this.

Why Abortion-Rights Activists Should Fear the Supreme CourtA high-court ruling is seen as a likely last-ditch effort to stop sweeping antiabortion legislation passed in Texas and other states. But counting on a win is a very risky gamble for the law’s opponents.
By Sophie Novack and Sam BakerMay 18, 2014
The abortion-rights movement is on the verge of a massive gamble.
The movement is trying to roll back a wave of state laws that have successfully curtailed access to abortion, and their best hope for doing so—perhaps their only hope for doing so—is likely a ruling from the Supreme Court. Advocates could soon get their wish: A Texas antiabortion law appears headed to the high court as soon as its next session, and a ruling against it could put other states' abortion restrictions on the shakiest of legal ground.
But it's also a move that could backfire: The advocates have no guarantee the Court will rule in their favor. The panel is divided and exceedingly difficult to forecast, and it could issue an unfavorable ruling that would not only sanction the Texas law—but also pave the legal way for new antiabortion laws nationwide.
"I think it is a huge risk," said Heather Busby, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Texas. "My concern is that at least four, if not five, justices don't have the same level of empathy for the burdens women face that we see on the ground."

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