Vote

Which candidates are pro-choice? Planned Parenthood Action Council (PPAC) launched its endorsement process on April 24, 2012.

PPAC’s PAC will endorse pro-choice and pro-family planning candidates in state and local elections. Endorsed candidates will be announced June 27, 2012. Read PPAC’s invitation to candidates and survey, and sign up for our 2012 Voter Guide.

Sign up for the 2012 Utah Voter Guide.

How to Register to Vote: If you have a currently valid Utah driver’s license or ID card, you can register to vote online.  A voter registration form can be found online. Voter registration forms should be sent to your respective county clerk’s office at least 30 days prior to the election. A list of addresses can be found on the last page of the voter registration form.

When to Vote: The primary will be on June 26th, and the general election will be November 6th. To sign up for a text message reminder on Election Day visit vote.utah.gov.

Where to Vote: You can find your polling location online. You can also request to vote by mail or an absentee ballot if you can’t make it to the polls on Election Day.

Why You Need to Vote: The future of women’s health is hanging in the balance.

In 2012, women have the power to choose candidates who make women’s health care a priority. Since 2010, we have been witness to a focused attack on women’s health, and it is imperative that we elect pro-choice and pro-family planning policy makers in 2012.

Last year, we saw hundreds of bills to restrict sex education in schools and access to safe and legal abortion services across the nation.

In Utah we had our own HB363, or Health Education Amendment, sponsored by Representative Wright. HB363 attempted to restrict all schools to “abstinence only” curriculum or not teach sex education at all. HB 363 was passed by the legislature, but was thankfully vetoed by Governor Herbert — who chose to listen to Utah parents. Utah parents should decide what their children learn at school, not small special interest groups directing the legislature. Access to accurate, fact-based information about healthy sexuality is critical for the future of our children.

Utah law makers successfully passed a bill in 2012 that makes Utah one of the states with the most extreme waiting periods, for women who have chose to end their pregnancy, in the nation. Representative Eliason sponsored HB 461, or Abortion Waiting Period, which passed through the legislature without much debate and signed into law by Governor Herbert. Vote for policy makers who trust women to gather the information that they need to make their own private and personal decisions. Utah women do not need politicians imposing roadblocks to safe and legal abortion procedures.

See 2012 Legislative Scorecard for more information on the voting records of incumbent candidates.  2012 Legislative Scorecard  2011 Legislative Scorecard

Sign up for the 2012 Voter Guide coming soon!

Join Planned Parenthood Action Council for
The Politics of Choice

Liberty Luncheon
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
11:30 am – 1:30 pm
I.J. & Jeanné Wagner Jewish Community Center
2 North Medical Drive

Guest Speaker, Thad E. Hall, Ph.D., coauthor of
Abortion Politics in Congress: Strategic Incrementalism and Policy Change
a book signing to follow luncheon

Tickets – $60 each or Table of Eight for $600
Buy tickets online
or send an email to heather.stringfellow@ppau.org

Due to our involvement in electoral politics,
donations to this PAC event are not tax deductible

There is only one week left in the session and we have two bills coming out for a floor vote. The Rules Committee of both houses sets the daily agenda for floor debate and subsequent vote at this point in the session. The two bills we are focused on could come out any time, depending on the priorities of the committee and sponsor.

Abortion Waiting Period, HB 461
This bill will extend the waiting period before an abortion procedure from 24-hours to 72-hours. According to the committee hearing testimony of the sponsor, Representative Eliason, the bill is a matter of consumer protection. Rebecca Chavez-Houck attempted to amend the bill to allow for consultation via telephone to reduce the two-trip burden on women seeking abortion services. The amendment was rejected by Representative Eliason and the two other committee members who voted against it (i.e., killing it 3 to 1). The bill passed out of committee late Friday and is poised for a house floor vote.

Email your representative today and ask that they vote against this bill. Cut and paste a sample letter and find your representative here.

This proposed legislation is not about being pro-life or pro-choice, but rather about being pro-women’s reproductive health care.

Health Education Amendments, HB 363
This bill will limit your school district to “abstinence only” sex ed. The bill – as of late Wednesday – was being held in the Senate Rules Committee and will be sent straight to the senate floor for a vote. No one wants this change to our sexuality education laws. Not parents, not teachers, not the Governor, nor the Utah Attorney General. It would seem the proponents of the bill have more political clout than the rest of us combined. The Eagle Forum’s phone tree is up and running and putting the pressure on – we need you to apply some counter-pressure!

Email your representative today and ask that they vote against this bill. Cut and paste a sample letter and find your senator here.

Encourage your senator to not bend to the political will of special interest groups and to listen to their constituents and vote accordingly.

Delegate and Caucus Training
Wondering how our law makers get elected? It starts with the party caucuses that will be held on March 13th and 15th this year. If you would like to get more involved in selecting representation on the hill, attend one of two trainings next week. See delegate flyer for more information.

2012 Legislative Session Wrap-Up
We will send out our final 2012 Legislative Session newsletter with a wrap-up after the session ends March 8, 2012.

Our annual Liberty Luncheon will be on Tuesday, March 27th from 11:30 am – 1:30 pm, where we will wrap up the session and make plans for the upcoming election. More information on tickets will be available soon!

Representative Eliason is sponsoring HB 461, or Abortion Waiting Period that would extend the current 24-hour waiting period for abortion services to 72-hours. This bill would require women to travel to a clinic for face-to-face counseling, and then return in three days for the procedure. Planned Parenthood Association of Utah is opposed to any legislation that interferes with a women’s right to safe and legal abortion services. We advocate that women and couples receive fact-based, non-judgmental information and the time to make the best decision. However, to impose a mandatory 3-day waiting period is unnecessary, pejorative, and will create significant obstacles for low-income women and those living in rural areas.

The only other state to impose a 72-hour waiting period (South Dakota) has been struck down through a preliminary injunction that found the law creates an “undue burden” on women and obstructs their right to legal abortion services. It is reckless for Utah to follow suit and incur a costly legal battle to defend an unnecessary policy.

Tell the House Health and Human Services Committee to TRUST WOMEN and vote against the Abortion Waiting Period bill.

Share your story and thoughts on a 72-hour waiting period with legislators. There are three ways to help defeat this bill; 1) email committee members directly and ask that they vote against HB 461, 2) testify in person in opposition to the bill, and/or 3) share your story on Utah Voices Tumblr to help our legislature understand abortion and your thoughts on private, personal decisions being legislatively directed.

See the list of committee members below and cross-check to see if they represent your district here (be sure to let them know if you are a constituent). Pass this Action Alert on to your friends and family to join the conversation.

The Abortion Waiting Period bill has been assigned to the House Health and Human Services Committee meeting on Friday, January 24th at 4:00 pm. If you have any questions or would like more information on testifying, please email heather.stringfelow@ppau.org.

House Health and Human Services Committee:
Rep. Paul Ray, Chair         pray@le.utah.gov
Rep. Evan J. Vickers, Vice Chair     evickers@le.utah.gov
Rep. Rebecca Chavez-Houck       rchouck@le.utah.gov
Rep. Tim M. Cosgrove       tcosgrove@le.utah.gov
Rep. Bradley M. Daw       bdaw@le.utah.gov
Rep. Daniel McCay         dmccay@le.utah.gov
Rep. Ronda Rudd Menlove       rmenlove@le.utah.gov
Rep. Dean Sanpei       dsanpei@le.utah.gov
Rep. Christine F.       Watkins cwatkins@le.utah.gov

We need you to tell the House Education Committee to vote “no” on HB 363!

Planned Parenthood Association of Utah is strongly opposed to this bill. With Utah’s high teen pregnancy rates and teens contracting sexually transmitted disease in alarming numbers, we should be teaching our children more about healthy sexuality and informed decision making – not less.

We also believe it is bad policy to take the control of classrooms away from the local districts who understand the unique needs of their families and students.

Please contact the legislators who serve on the House Education Committee and ask them to oppose this bill.

Contact the representatives on the House Education Committee now:

Rep. Francis D. Gibson, Chair – fgibson@le.utah.gov – 801-491-3793
Rep. Bill Wright, Vice Chair – billwright@le.utah.gov - 435-864-5970 – 801-404-7066 – 435-864-4887
Rep. Patrice M. Arent – parent@le.utah.gov – 801-272-1956 – 801-326-1515
Rep. LaVar Christensen – lavarchristensen@le.utah.gov – 801-572-9878 – 801-571-8603 – 801-550-1040
Rep. Rebecca P. Edwards – beckyedwards@le.utah.gov – 801-554-1968
Rep. Steve Eliason – seliason@le.utah.gov – 801-300-9844
Rep. Gregory H. Hughes – greghughes@le.utah.gov – 801-572-5305 – 801-548-2922
Rep. Rebecca D. Lockhart – blockhart@le.utah.gov – 801-377-7428 – 801-369-6784
Rep. John G. Mathis – jmathis@le.utah.gov – 801-377-7428 – 801-369-6784
Rep. Kay L. McIff – kaymciff@le.utah.gov – 435-896-4461 – 435-760-2618
Rep. Carol Spackman Moss – csmoss@le.utah.gov – 801-272-6507 – 801-647-8764
Rep. Merlynn T. Newbold – mnewbold@le.utah.gov – 801-254-0142
Rep. Marie H. Poulson – mariepoulson@le.utah.gov – 801-942-5390
Rep. Kraig Powell – kraigpowell@le.utah.gov – 435-657-0185
Rep. Kenneth W. Sumsion – ksumsion@le.utah.gov – 801-368-8299

If you would like more information or have any questions, please contact Heather Stringfellow at heather.stringfellow@ppau.org or 801-521-2735.

Today, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation announced that it will continue to make grant funds for breast health and education available to Planned Parenthood, which could include Planned Parenthood Association of Utah. We are gratified that Planned Parenthood’s partnership with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation will continue to make this care available to women in need.

We are also grateful for the simply astonishing outpouring of support for women’s health this week. The demonstration of the power of the people to push back and insist that Susan G. Komen of the Cure Foundation retract their decision was an incredible experience. That so many of you stood up for Planned Parenthood and the critical role that we play in providing women affordable annual exams and breast cancer screenings was truly remarkable.

Thank you for standing with Planned Parenthood, and for being a crucial part of the movement to protect and promote women’s health.

Sincerely,

Karrie Galloway, CEO

Planned Parenthood Association of Utah

It’s gone too far, and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund is doing something about it. As Election Day 2012 approaches, join us as we watch candidates on either side of the ballot. It’s as easy as taking the pledge womenarewatching.org. Tell lawmakers and candidates for office, we will not sit quietly while they attack our health and rights. Women are watching. And what we see is alarming!