by Sara Lefkowitz
Reproductive Freedom for All, Bay Area Action Council Chair
[Note: At our Monthly All-Members Meeting on March 24, Sara gave a talk on Reproductive Justice. To view a video of her talk, click here. To view the slide show she presented, click here. The following is based on her AMM presentation.]
People are passionate about reproductive freedom; it will bring them out to vote. Since the overturning of Roe, whenever there has been a state Constitutional amendment on the ballot for abortion, the amendment has passed. This includes: California, Kentucky, Michigan, Vermont, Ohio and — my personal favorite — Kansas, the land of sunflowers, Oz and now constitutionally-protected abortion rights.
Activists in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and South Dakota are diligently working to get Abortion Rights Amendments qualified to be on the November 2024 election ballots. The italicized states are especially critical — as they are also battleground states that we need to win to keep the Presidency, keep the Senate, and win back the House.
In your Get-Out-The-Vote efforts, please remember to include the Reproductive Freedom voter. We are motivated. We are staring down at a Unites States in which daughters have fewer rights than their mothers. This is unacceptable. We believe, as does the World Health Organization, that abortion is essential healthcare and a human right. We believe that people have the right to bodily autonomy, self determination, and privacy. We believe that sexual and reproductive healthcare decisions should be made between a healthcare provider and a patient; not by politicians.
We believe in Reproductive Justice which includes abortion, the right to maternity care and the right to have a child in a safe and healthy environment. Please support Reproductive Freedom for All’s 2024 Legislative Agenda which includes AB1895 (which would regulate the closing of Labor and Delivery units in the state of California) and AB2490 (which would prepare Emergency Departments to take a bigger role in providing sexual and reproductive health services).
Join us for Lobby Day in Sacramento on May 8th
To show your support, we encourage you to attend Lobby Day in Sacramento on Wednesday May 8. It will be a fun and empowering way to meet our State Assembly and Senate members while advocating for Reproductive Justice. Come lobby with us! Sign up for our April 15 Member Meeting & Lobby Day Training. No experience necessary! Want more information? Contact Sara Lefkowitz at saralefko@gmail.com.
