ACTION ALERT
Reproductive Health and Education Coalition of Alabama
March 7, 2008
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ACTION ALERT Reproductive Health and Education Coalition of Alabama |
Dear RHECA Action Network members:
The Legislature is now in full swing, which means people who care about reproductive freedom must be vigilant. As we know from past experience, legislation which makes it out of committee and moves to a floor vote - in either the House or Senate – is usually adopted, so bills that restrict reproductive health care must be stopped in committee. There are two serious anti-choice measures pending in committee now. One is a so-called “Health Care Rights of Conscience Act;” the other is a bill defining life as beginning at conception. More information about these bills and a call to action is below.
There is also one positive bill that deserves support: a bill that would expand birthing options for Alabama women by creating a certified midwife license. More information on that bill is also below.
It’s critical that members of the Legislature hear from those of us who support reproductive health care for all women and families in Alabama. Contact information for legislators is below.
Please feel free to call with any questions or concerns about this alert. Thanks so much for your support.
Olivia Turner
(On behalf of RHECA)
334-265-2754 x 204
otaclual@bellsouth.net
PLEASE HELP US DEFEAT THESE BILLS
“Health Care Rights of Conscience Act”
House Bill 490 allows health care providers, insurance companies
and institutions to refuse to perform or pay for any medical services that
violate their conscience and provides immunity from liability for failure to
provide or pay for services in all or most circumstances.
The stated purpose of the act is to protect as a civil right the “right
of all health care providers, institutions and payers to decline to counsel,
advise, pay for, provide, assist, or participate in providing or performing
health care services that violate their consciences.”
Status: Pending consideration before the House Health Committee.
This bill should be defeated because:
It does not strike the right balance between religious liberty and reproductive freedom
Religious objections of pharmacists, doctors, etc. should be accommodated but only when the necessary safeguards for women are in place such as requiring the refusing pharmacist or doctor to:
Action needed:
E-mail, call or write the Chair and Vice-Chair of the House Health Committee
and any committee members you know or who are from you district and tell
them the committee should not adopt this bill.
Life begins at conception
House Bill 348 declares that life begins at conception. Defines “unborn child” as the “offspring of human beings from the moment of conception until birth at every stage of biological development.”
Status: Pending consideration before the House Health Committee.
This bill should be defeated because:
Contraceptives could be banned if it becomes law.
The intent of this law is to ban abortion.
Banning abortion will not reduce the number of unintended pregnancies in Alabama. It will, however, put women and their families at risk because history has shown that women denied access to abortion resort to desperate measures. Politicians should not legislate medical decision-making. Women should be able to make decisions and receive care based on their individual circumstances.
Action needed:
E-mail, call or write the Chair and Vice-Chair of the House Health Committee
and any committee members you know or who are from you district and tell
them the committee should not adopt this bill.
PLEASE SUPPORT THIS BILL
State Certification of midwives
House Bill 314 and Senate Bill 240:
These are identical bills. They provide for a Certified Professional Midwife
License. They include regulations, penalties for violations and information
for consumers.
Status: Pending consideration before the House Health Committee.
Why this bill should be adopted because:
Alabama's midwifery law has not been updated in over 30 years old. It is too restrictive.
Alabama families deserve more choices.
Recent studies show that home birth is as safe or safer for healthy women with normal
pregnancies as hospital deliveries.
More families are considering home birth a desirable way to bring their babies into the world.
AL should join the 22 other states that credential and regulate the practice of certified professional midwives.
Action needed:
E-mail, call or write the Chair and Vice-Chair of the House Health Committee
and any committee members you know or who are from you district and tell
them the committee should vote this bill out.
To find out who your Legislative representatives are and how to contact them, click http://www.legislature.state.al.us./misc/zipsearch.html. To read the bills or track their status yourself, click http://alisdb.legislature.state.al.us/acas/ACASLogin.asp. |
Senate Health Committee
Senate address:
11S. Union St. Montgomery, 36130
Fax: 334 242 8819
Chair
Linda Coleman (D) Room 729-A
State: 334 242 7864
Other: 205 798 1045
Email: lindacoleman60@bellsouth.net
Vice Chairperson
W.H. “Pat” Lindsey (D) Room 721
State: 334 242 7843
Other: 205 459 3508
Email: Not available
Roger Bedford Jr. (D) Room 730-B
State: 334 242 7862
Other: 256 332 7709
Email: senbedford@aol.com
Larry Dixon (R) Room 737-D
State: 334 242 7895
Other: 334 834 8105
Email: larry.dixon@alsenate.gov
Steve French (R) Room 737
State: 334 242 7851
Other: 205 871 3881
Email: steve.french@alsenate.gov
Parker Griffith (D) Deputy Chair, Room 722-B
State: 334 242 7800
Other 256 533 0216
Email: info@parkergriffith.com
Zeb Little (D) Room 722-A
State: 334 242 7855
Other 256 734 6348
Email: zeb@zeblittlelawfirm.com
Edward B. “E.B.” McClain (D) Room 734
State: 334 242 7867
Other: 205 781 0786
Email: ebmc@bellsouth.net
Larry Means (D) Room 729
State: 334 242 7857
Other: 256 538 2014
Email: Not available
“Walking” Wendell Mitchell (D) Room 733
State: 334 242 7883
Other: 334 244 1877
Email: wmitchell@faulkner.edu
Hinton Mitchem (D) Room 733
State: 334 242 7876
Other: 256 498 6600
Email: legislator@mclo.org
Myron C. Penn (D) Room 731
State: 334 242 7868
Other: 334 738 4486
Email: myronpenn28@hotmail.com
Quinton T. Ross, Jr. (D) Room
731
State: 334 242 7880
Other: 334 280 2963
Email: qtross2002@hotmail.com
Harri Anne Smith (R) Room 735
State: 334 242 7879
Other: 334 886 3208
Email: harriannesmith@graceba.net
J.T. “Jabo” Waggoner (R) Room 737
State: 334 242 7892
Other: 205 822 7443
Email: jabo.waggoner@alsenate.gov
House of Representatives
Health Committee
House address:
11 S. Union Street, 36103
Fax: 334 242 4759
Chair
Michael J. Millican, (D) Room 628-F
State: 334 242 7768
Other: 205 921 5959
Email: mike.millican@alhouse.org
Vice Chair
Locy Baker (D) Room 522-D
State: 334 242 7693
Other: 334 726 1144 (cell pager)
Email: Not available
Jim Barton (R) Room 540-D
State: 334 242 7754
Other: 251 208 5480
Email: jbarton@msg-inc.com
Billy Beasley (D) Room 625-A
State: 334 242 7686
Other: 334 775 3291
Email: Not available
Steve Clouse (R) Room 526-A
State: 334 242 7717
Other: 334 774 9122
Email: Not available
Blaine Galliher (R) Room 628-C
State: 334 242 7760
Other: 256 442 7517
Email: blaine2@mindspring.com
James O. Gordon (D) Room 522-C
State: 334 242 7772
Other: 251 679 9744
Email: james@jamesogordon.com
Ronald Grantland (D) Room 524-A
State: 334 242 7736
Other: 256 612 9344
Email: Not available
Ronald G. Johnson (R) Room 627-D
State: 334 242 777
Other: 256 249 9489
Email: Not available
Thomas E. Jackson (D) Room 522-C
State: 334 242 7738
Other: 334 636 0094
Email: Not available
Jim McClendon (R) Room 527-C
State: 334 242 7749
Other: 205 467 2656
Email: www.jimmcclendon.org
William E. Thigpen, Sr. (D) Room 538-D
State: 334 242 7766
Other: 205 932 3317
Email: william.thigpen@alhouse.org
Benjamin “Allen” Treadaway (R) Room 536-D
State: 334 242 7685
Other: 205 566 6835
Email: bsketa@aol.com
Pebblin W. Warren (D) Room 520
State: 334 242 7734
Other: 334 727 9127
Email: tiger9127@aol.com
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