Tell your Senator: Protect Virginia’s Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative!

The Virginia General Assembly is back in Richmond this week for a special session to resume work on the budget, and there was some tentative good news today as the Senate Finance Committee advanced their version of the state’s two-year budget — but your legislators need to hear from you now to make sure it becomes a reality!

As you may remember, Governor Bob McDonnell’s version of the budget, introduced in January, proposed eliminating all state funding for Virginia’s Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative programs. The Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative, or TPPI, funds programs in seven health districts throughout the state with high rates of pregnancy among teenagers, including Alexandria, Petersburg, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Richmond, Roanoke, and the Eastern Shore. These programs provide sex education, information and resources on health and wellness, and access to contraception for thousands of Virginia young people.

The governor’s proposed budget eliminated all $455,000 in remaining state funding for TPPI programs, after the program’s funding was already slashed in his first two years in office.

Due to our advocacy and pressure by pro-choice legislators in the General Assembly, however, the version of the budget advanced by the Senate Finance Committee today does include restored funding for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative! If this ends up in the final budget approved by the Governor, it would be great news for the thousands of teens throughout Virginia who are served by this program and receive the knowledge and resources they need to protect their health and prevent unintended pregnancy.

The full Virginia Senate is expected to vote on their version of the budget plan this coming Monday, March 26th. Please contact your Senator today and let them know that preserving strong funding in the budget for Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative programs is important to you!

You can find your state Senator and their contact information here.   Email or call their office today and urge them to support funding for teen pregnancy prevention initiatives in the budget plan!

(Once you’ve done that, please share this post and urge your friends and neighbors to do the same!)

Pro-Choice Candidate of the Day: Senator Ralph Northam, Senate District 6

We’re less than two weeks away from one of the biggest elections for reproductive choice in Virginia in years. On Tuesday, November 8, Virginians will go to the polls to vote on all 140 General Assembly seats. All this week on the blog, we are spotlighting pro-choice candidates of the day in key races across the state, so you know who will stand up for women’s rights and health in Richmond and who we’re working to help elect this fall!

Senator Ralph Northam

Today we continue our pro-choice spotlight by heading to the Tidewater and Eastern Shore region of Virginia and Senate District 6, which encompasses all of Accomack, Northampton and Mathews counties, and portions of the cities of Virginia Beach and Norfolk.

In this race, Senator Ralph Northam is the pro-choice candidate.

Senator Northam, an M.D. specializing in pediatric neurology, has been an outspoken and tireless champion for women’s health while in the state Senate. Like other senators in this week’s spotlights, Senator Northam is a vital member of the Senate Committee on Education and Health, where bills dealing with abortion and reproductive choice and health are heard. Strong pro-choice leadership on this committee is one of the last obstacles in the General Assembly to stop the anti-choice agenda of Governor Bob McDonnell and his allies. That’s part of the reason anti-choice politicians are working so hard to unseat Senator Northam.

As a practicing physician, Sen. Northam brings important experience and expertise to the committee, where he has often spoken to debunk anti-choice claims and provide perspective on the medical realities of reproductive choice and health issues. He has also been a leader on ensuring that Virginia’s young people receive the effective sex education they need to prevent pregnancy and protect their health. In the 2011 session, for instance, he patroned S.B. 967, a bill to ensure that Family Life Education programs in Virginia schools are medically-accurate and evidence-based. Sen. Northam has also spoken out on the issue of so-called “crisis pregnancy centers” and the importance of making sure that these anti-choice organizations are not able to deceive Virginia women or provide them with medically-inaccurate information.

Senator Northam is being challenged by anti-choice candidate Ben Loyola, Jr. Not only will Mr. Loyola fully support the radical McDonnell-Cuccinelli agenda in Richmond (the governor not only endorsed, but promised to help campaign with Loyola), but he has shown his anti-choice positions in his own right. In fact, he sponsored a fundraiser for a deceptive anti-choice “crisis pregnancy center” that misinforms Tidewater women about abortion, birth control and reproductive health. To have an anti-choice candidate like Ben Loyola in the state Senate, particularly in place of a tireless public health advocate like Senator Northam, would be a detriment to women’s health in Virginia.

As we’ve noted before, Virginia’s state Senate is currently what we call “mixed-choice.” When votes on abortion and other reproductive rights issues come to the floor of the Senate, we do not have a reliable pro-choice majority. We saw the real consequences of this scenario earlier this year as anti-choice legislators snuck through S.B. 924, a bill singling out women’s health centers for new, politically-motivated regulations. As a champion of women’s health, Senator Northam voted against this law because he recognized these regulations for what they are – government intrusion into the private medical decisions of Virginia women that would actually put women’s health and rights in greater danger.

Senator Ralph Northam is strong pro-choice leader in Richmond who we can count on to keep working hard for women’s rights, privacy and health. Learn how you can get involved to get out the pro-choice vote by visiting our Elections page.  Make sure to get out and vote on Tuesday, November 8 and remind all your pro-choice friends to do the same! Share this post and remind people of the importance of their vote for protecting the future of choice in Virginia!

By NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia PAC staff. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

Senator Ralph Northam, D-Norfolk

Welcome back to our new, regular blog series, Virginia Political Pro(choice)files. In this segment, we highlight Virginia’s state politicians who support and fight for women’s reproductive rights while also drawing attention to politicians who are working to undermine the constitutional right to safe and legal abortion. To see how all General Assembly members stacked up in 2011, check out our Legislative Scorecard!

The Political Pro(choice)files: Senator Ralph Northam, D-Norfolk

As a representative for Norfolk in the Virginia General Assembly, Ralph Northam has been an ally of women and a great advocate for comprehensive sexual education throughout his four years in office. He was first elected in 2007 and will be running in a very competitive election this November.

Ralph Northam was one of three Virginia state senators involved in proposing legislation in 2010 to reign in the bad habits of Crisis Pregnancy Centers

Northam, along with Senator Craig Deeds, Senator John Edwards, and Senator Dave Marsden, proposed a bill to regulate Virginia’s Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs)—regulations that would include a notice on the buildings stating that the facilities are not licensed, comprehensive healthcare centers. This bill went on to require that the facility include in the posted notice that it does not perform or refer women for abortions or contraception and that the facility is not required to adhere to confidentiality laws in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

As a pediatric neurologist, Northam knows that providing misleading and inaccurate medical information to women is dangerous and inappropriate. Women need to know that many CPCs have no obligation to respect their privacy.

Senator Northam, along with Delegates Charniele Herring and David Englin, participated in a press conference following the release of our research project exposing CPCs and showed nothing but support for women in need of accurate information in the midst of a difficult decision:

It is extremely important that these young women are able to seek medical advice that is in their best interest of their health … it’s important for women that seek advice from these centers to know what they offer and what they don’t offer and that’s exactly what this bill is intended to do. The bill, I think, will insure that expectant women will receive what I consider factual-based medical information and be able to make decisions that are in the best interest of their health.

The proposed bill also included a section prohibiting any CPC in violation of the prior regulations from receiving any funds derived from the Virginia Choose Life Fund license plates.

Although the bill was passed by indefinitely, it was successful in bringing some much needed attention to the issues surrounding CPCs.

In the last session of the General Assembly, Senator Northam also patroned SB 967, a bill that requires Virginia school districts to teach medically accurate and evidence-based programs that fall under the guidelines of Family Life Education. Although this bill passed in the Senate, it was unfortunately “left to die” in the House Committee on Education.

Clearly, Northam has shown that he is a strong supporter of women’s rights and his medical background gives him a solid perspective in regards to bills that involve women’s health.

Respect and access are key

By Autumn

I promised my husband a date at the movies this past Tuesday night. What he didn’t know was that I was taking him to see 12^th and Delaware which was being screened in a lecture room at Virginia Commonwealth University, courtesy of NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia Foundation, NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation and the VCU Department of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies. It was hardly the kind of place where a guy can do the fake yawn move, but I think that in the end he enjoyed the show. We grabbed some bottles of water and a handful of Starburst candy, gratis, and squeezed into our plastic lecture hall chairs to await the dimming of the lights.

The movie, which features a women’s health clinic and a crisis pregnancy center (CPC) that share the corner of 12^th and Delaware in a Florida town, was extremely well done and completely free of narration, leaving the viewer to simply observe the operations of both organizations as they interact with patients and each other. Observation was all that it took to make me want to scream. The CPC used all their usual harassing and deceptive tactics, including misinforming of the gestational age of the fetus and providing medically-inaccurate information about contraception. My personal *headdesk* moment occurred toward the end of the movie. The film crew visits with 15 year-old Widline whom we met at the CPC in the beginning of the film. In a voiceover, Widline tells us that she decided to keep her baby because the CPC told her she’d be infertile if she aborted. Widline tells us that rather than get a safe abortion, she drinks vinegar and tries to miscarry. Of course, the audience knows that Widline will most likely give birth to a child which she is unable, physically or psychologically to care for.

The panel discussion afterward featured Senator Donald McEachin, D-Henrico, Shelley Abrams, an owner of several women’s health centers in the southern U.S., Vanessa Wellbery from NARAL Pro-Choice America and Joey Richards from NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia. The discussion was very lively from the start and took on a life of its own. In fact, the main topic of the evening was something not even covered in the documentary – the race-based attacks that the anti-choice movement is now disseminating to African-American communities. Senator McEachin noted the entire community must be involved in combating these tactics, and called for greater involvement by pro-choice proponents in refuting these attacks. (For example, see some of the great work by Trust Black Women.)

I would go a step farther. In addition to fighting racist tactics from anti-choice groups, we need to do a better job of explaining the need for choice to the next generation. One way to do this is to ensure that we have comprehensive sex education in our schools, so our young people can learn to make lifelong, healthy choices. Get involved, find out what your school or your child’s school is teaching and make it clear that you want medically-accurate and age-appropriate facts taught.

Everyone deserves respect. And everyone deserves access.

Summer Intern Series: Sex & Politics in the Capital City

By Brooke

This summer, Advocates for Youth, the Center for Health and Gender Equity, Choice USA and the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the US (SIECUS), along with partner organizations are holding a series of lunchtime talks for DC-area interns working for organizations with similar goals.

The first in this series of lunches was called, “Reproductive Justice 101 & Effective Reproductive Justice Activism on Campus” and NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia interns Marissa and I were on the scene to find out more.

Representatives from Choice USA led the first segment, in which we discussed the fundamental importance of the term “reproductive justice.” Reproductive justice is more than just the right to choose, it is having the ability to choose without economic, social, racial, or geographic “oppressions.” It also encompasses the universal right of access to accurate and comprehensive sex education.

Next, representatives from The Feminist Majority Foundation gave us some tips on how to further causes related to reproductive justice on campuses. They showed us how a small group can eventually create a larger movement with the right type of strategy. Grassroots activism gives supporters the opportunity to feel a part of the movement and eventually spark change in their communities. At the grassroots level, it’s best to sponsor campus-wide events that could attract people who would not normally come to one of your meetings. This can be done by focusing on a current policy issue or inviting a well-known speaker to lead a discussion on your topic.

NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia Foundation has been active on campuses throughout Virginia, raising awareness about the shaming and harassment of crisis pregnancy centers. Our Support Without Shame campaign has been to University of Mary Washington, James Madison University, University of Virginia and Virginia Tech. If you want to help support reproductive justice on your campus, we are looking for leaders in your school community. Please contact Joey for more information on applying.

And if you’re in the Richmond area, be sure to RSVP for our screening of “12^th  & Delaware” this Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. on the VCU campus.

The McDonnell Administration’s War on Virginia Women’s Health: By the Numbers

By Marissa

The McDonnell administration recently released  a video entitled “The McDonnell Administration: By the Numbers,” which shows what the governor wants Virginians to know he has been up to since his inauguration.

But he failed to mention his success in also stripping women of their access to reproductive healthcare.

The governor’s office would have you believe his sole focus during his first year in office was roads, rest stops and reducing taxes.

Unfortunately, the past two General Assembly sessions show us one of the governor’s biggest priorities – to undercut the health of Virginia women and their families.

Since 2010, McDonnell has overridden doctors’ diagnoses and blocked low-income women’s access to abortion care when their health is at grave risk.

McDonnell has banned Virginia women from using their own money to purchase private insurance coverage for abortion care even in tragic health-threatening and fetal abnormality cases.

McDonnell has approved new, unwarranted regulations to single out first-trimester abortion providers from other doctors’ office and turn them  into hospitals, essentially shutting them down and banning access to safe, affordable reproductive healthcare to a majority of Virginia women.

And, McDonnell restored nearly $900,000 in funding for failed, abstinence-only-until-marriage programs in our public schools that deny real information to our youth so they can make healthy, responsible decisions.

Governor McDonnell’s policies and priorities are bad news for Virginia women and their families.

Here is our video response, outlining the ways the McDonnell Administration continues to attack the health of Virginia women and their families.

Contact Governor McDonnell today, and ask him to stop his War on Women

The McDonnell Administration’s War on Virginia Women’s Health: By the Numbers

4 – Pieces of anti-choice legislation signed into law by Governor McDonnell since his inauguration in 2010[1]

1 – Type of doctor’s office singled out for new hospital-style regulation under recent legislation (SB 924): First-trimester abortion providers

80 – Percentage of abortion providers forced to close in Texas after similar legislation was enacted in 1997[2]

86 – Percent of counties in Virginia currently without a dedicated abortion provider

0 –Private insurance providers allowed to cover a woman’s unfettered right to choose under the governor’s amendment to a health exchange bill (HB 2434)

39 – Virginia’s nationwide ranking from NARAL Pro-Choice America’s Who Decides? reproductive report card during McDonnell’s time in office[3]

2 –States that applied solely for unproven abstinence-only-until-marriage program funding in 2010: Minnesota and Virginia[4]

$898,000 – Money McDonnell restored to failed abstinence-only-until-marriage programs while eliminating a similar amount from programs to help families in need

$400,000 – Approximate cost to Virginians in order to fund ineffective abstinence-only-until-marriage programs[5]

$2.5 million – Federal funding for comprehensive sex education programs Virginia lost due to McDonnell’s political agenda[6]

$0 – State money required for said comprehensive sexual education, which McDonnell rejected in favor of taxpayer-funded, ineffective abstinence-only-until-marriage programs

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[1] HB 1500 Item 297; HB 1500 § 4-5.04(j)

[2] http://www.prochoicetexas.org/news/headlines/200601244.shtml

[3] http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/government-and-you/who-decides/who-decides-2011.pdf

[4] http://www.siecus.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Feature.showFeature&featureID=1940

[5] http://hamptonroads.com/2010/08/mcdonnell-seeks-abstinenceonly-education-funds

[6] http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/open/foa/view/HHS-2010-ACF-ACYF-PREP-0125

Turning the Tide for Women’s Health

By Leigh

A recent poll in Politico shows 79 percent of adults in the U.S. “feel Congress has focused too much on abortion and not enough on things like preventive care, reproductive health and expanding access to birth control.”

This seems like promising statistic for women’s health in our country. However, the poll also revealed only 4 in 10 people would take the defunding of Planned Parenthood into consideration when voting. It seems like now, more than ever, constituents should be voting for candidates who support women’s health and work towards comprehensive health care. 

For example, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act passed overwhelmingly in the U.S. House. Though it aims to end abortion funding, it also has many detrimental effects on all aspects of women’s reproductive health. On the state level, Virginia’s General Assembly passed new legislation during the 2011 session to limit access to safe, legal abortion by singling out abortion providers for new, unnecessary regulations. This bill came in addition to a ban on private insurance coverage of abortion care and the renewal of nearly $900,000 in funding for failed, abstinence-only-until-marriage programs in our state.

While it’s reassuring the majority of Americans believe the policy focus should shift towards reproductive rights and preventive care, it’s discouraging that our elected officials spend so much time focusing on restricting women’s access to health care, instead of working on legislation that would protect and promote the well-being of everyone in this country.

This will surely be a critical year inVirginiafor turning the tide back in favor of women’s health. We currently have 92 legislators who are either mixed- or anti-choice. If we lose even two seats in the state Senate, we can expect the McDonnell Administration and its allies will launch a full-scale assault on women’s health in our state. It is essential that in the upcoming statewide elections Virginians vote for candidates that protect and not restrict education and health access for the women of the Commonwealth.

Maybe in the years ahead, with a little luck, this poll will read, “100 percent of elected officials are concerned with promoting and protecting women’s reproductive health, and 100 percent of Americans have access to contraception and preventive care they need and deserve.” We can start that trend here in Virginia.

Be sure to attend our next volunteer orientation on June 14 inAlexandria to learn more about what we will be doing to protect women’s health inVirginia this year and beyond.

And if you missed it, check out our new blog series profiling Virginia’s state politicians and their views and actions on women’s health.

Virginia Becoming More Hostile Toward Women’s Health

By Sara Cardelle

There is currently a National War on Women in the United States regarding reproductive rights. The attacks on women’s health care access range from attempts to defund Planned Parenthood (on Wednesday, Indiana became the first state to succeed) to requirements that pregnant women undergo an ultrasound prior to obtaining an abortion. In total, there have been 916 state bills related to reproductive rights issues proposed throughout the country this year alone. Unfortunately, the war on women has been equally successful in the state of Virginia. We saw a total of 10 bills or amendments restricting reproductive health care proposed during the 2011 General Assembly. Three of the bills and amendments are now law and could have a devastating impact on women’s health and access to care in Virginia. At NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia’s Choice Legislative Debriefing, Delegate Patrick Hope, D-Arlington, stated, “We have essentially overturned a lot of case laws since Roe v. Wade, making Virginia one of the less desirable states in terms of women’s reproductive rights and I think it’s just outrageous.”

Delegate Hope’s statement certainly rings true as we review NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia’s 2011 Legislative Scorecard.

In comparing this year to last year’s results, there is evidence of a push to more anti-choice partisanship. The number of Virginia legislators earning a zero percent pro-choice rating from has nearly doubled from 2010 to 2011. Last year, 36 delegates and nine senators earned a zero percent pro-choice rating. In 2011, the number of Delegates earning a zero percent pro-choice rating went up to 60. This means that, this year, 60 percent of the House of Delegates voted in favor of any and all bills and amendments attacking reproductive rights.

The number of Senators with a zero percent pro-choice rating increased to 15 which, like the House of Delegates, nearly doubles that of last year. There was also a decrease in 100 percent pro-choice senators (from 22 in 2010 to only 19 in 2011). This means there is no pro-choice majority in the Senate. This small but crucial change came into play often during the session, as we saw three bills or amendments restricting reproductive choice pass by only one vote in the Senate.

During the legislative debriefing, Senator George Barker, D-Fairfax, discussed this issue stating, “The pressure on [moderate legislators] is extraordinary right now, from all kinds of groups out there. And the fear they have is if they take a vote that is not an anti-choice vote, on any single issue, [these groups] will automatically guarantee that they have a primary challenge and in most instances will guarantee that they lose that primary challenge.”

This past session reminds us how important it is to make sure Virginians elect pro-choice candidates in the state legislature and especially in the executive branch. Of the three new anti-choice laws on the books, two were amendments from the governor. Governor McDonnell’s amendments include banning private abortion coverage for all women participating in the new health care insurance exchange, and prohibiting private insurance companies from offering coverage on abortions. The other amendment restores nearly $900,000 in funding for failed, abstinence-only programs. In addition to these two amendments (which are now law after passing the state Senate by only one vote), the governor will also have the final say on new, unwarranted regulations singling out first-trimester abortion providers.

This has been a hard year for reproductive rights in the state of Virginia and across the country. However, there is an opportunity for Virginia citizens to take our state back and that involves us coming out to vote this year on November 8th when all 140 General Assembly seats are up for grabs. The legislative scorecard gives you a chance to see if your legislator is pro-choice or not. I will certainly be taking that information with me into November, and I hope you will as well.

What Happened and What is Ahead?

By Sara Cardelle

Once a year, NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia hosts a Legislative Debriefing event following the General Assembly session as an opportunity for our members and activists to meet and hear from our pro-choice legislature allies. This year, we had nearly 40 pro-choice supporters, which is our largest attendance to date. The audience had an opportunity to hear from six senators and delegates who spoke about our victories and defeats and what lies ahead for reproductive rights in the state of Virginia. (Be sure to check out photos from the event here.)

For the last four months I have been watching the General Assembly and the unfolding of the anti-reproductive rights plan to attack a woman’s right to choose in Virginia. I have watched live videos of anti-reproductive health bills on the floor and heard our allies as well as anti-choice legislator’s debate on the bills. So for me, it was an incredible opportunity to hear from six of our strong pro-choice allies as they shared their stories and views from the session. I especially found it sad but interesting that only a handful of conservative organizations have the power to scare many of our legislators into never voting in support for any reproductive rights issues, and that this hold has only gotten stronger in the last year or so. It was an amazing experience to be in a room full of passionate and excited people who care so strongly about reproductive rights. I left the event feeling unbelievably empowered by all of the attendees and legislatures.

This year’s speakers included:

• Senator Mary Margaret Whipple, D-Arlington, Senate Democratic Caucus Chair
• Senator George Barker, D-Fairfax
• Delegate Charniele Herring, D-Alexandria, Reproductive Rights Caucus Chair
• Delegate Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria
• Delegate Vivian Watts, D-Fairfax
• Delegate Patrick Hope, D-Arlington, Progressive Caucus Chair

Each speaker had a different topic, so I want to hit the highlights for me of their presentations.

Delegate Ebbin talked about how important the 2011 elections are going to be in protecting and defending reproductive rights in Virginia over the next several years. He also spoke about the current redistricting battle going on in the House of Delegates and state Senate, which, come election time, could lead to an increase in the number of legislators opposed to comprehensive health care for Virginia women.

Delegate Watts talked about Senate Bill 924, which calls for the Board of Health to regulate facilities providing five or more first-trimester abortions per month as a category of hospital. She noted new regulations could not just affect abortion providers, but also OB/GYN offices. Describing recent attacks against women’s health care, she stated that this is the “worst year that I have seen [regarding] abortion legislation.“

Delegate Hope talked about a bill he patroned this year, HB 1488, which prohibits a correctional facility from using restraints (shackles) on any prisoner who is pregnant and in labor. The exception would exclude women who are a flight risk or pose serious harm to herself or others. This bill was tabled in the Military, Police and Public Safety Committee.  Even though the bill was defeated this year, Delegate Hope stated the discussion led to a meeting he and other members will have with the Director of the Department of Corrections to get further guidance and create better regulations.

Delegate Herring spoke of one of the bills she patroned, which was HB 2436. The bill stated that any qualified health benefits plan offered through an exchange shall be neither required to provide nor prohibited from providing insurance coverage for abortion services. This bill was a proactive bill to prevent anticipated bans on private insurance coverage for abortion services. Unfortunately, her bill was tabled in committee. Sadly, we did see a ban on private insurance coverage of abortion care, in the form of Governor McDonnell’s amendment to House Bill 2434, which would have simply created the state’s insurance exchange.

Senator Whipple discussed the TRAP (Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers) bill and the importance of the Senate Committee on Education and Health in defeating anti-choice legislation. She stated that many negative bills pass the House, but are defeated by women’s health allies in the Senate Committee on Education and Health. Several years ago, legislators wrote into the rules of the Senate that any bills related to abortion would automatically have to go to this Committee, which has been able to defeat a multitude of anti-reproductive-rights bills (even when the Committee had a Republican* majority).

Senator Barker talked about one of the positives coming out of this year’s 2011 General Assembly, which was Senate Bill 967. This bill would have added Family Life Education to the standards of learning guidelines and required all FLE programs be medically-accurate and science-based. The bill passed the full Senate and was defeated by a tie vote in House sub-committee (which is great progress). Senator Barker noted FLE has helped reduce teen pregnancy by a large percent. He also explained how some more moderate representatives used to vote for reproductive rights in the past but are now under extraordinary pressure from conservative organizations to vote no on any reproductive right bills. The fear is that any conservative legislator who votes even once for reproductive rights will automatically have a primary challenger who will most likely beat them in the primaries. Senator Barker said that “if we were able to have secret votes on the floor of the Senate on these types of bills, then we would have 25 to 30 votes on every one of these bills, to kill these bad bills.”

I, like many of the attendees, left this year’s Legislative Debriefing feeling passionate and angry over the current erosion of reproductive rights. This is an important time for people to get angry and to fight back, as reproductive rights are under attack all across the country right now. (In fact, 916 bills dealing with reproductive rights have been proposed across the country this year alone.) Anti-choice groups are no longer looking to outright overturn Roe v. Wade because they know that they can whittle down reproductive rights through the states, one bill at a time. This is why it is so important for Virginians to volunteer for pro-choice candidates in the summer and fall and to come out and vote for pro-choice candidates in this year’s statewide election.

As a helpful guide to know how your legislator ranks, we had a first glimpse of our 2011 scorecard during the debriefing. The scorecard allows you to see how your elected official stacks up on choice. Check back soon to see the full scorecard online.

*Supporting access to comprehensive reproductive health care options is not a partisan issue.

The Panel Presents the Status of Choice

Pro-Choice Allies Speak to the Group

What Are We Learning in Sex Ed? Part 5, Part 6 and the Finale

This past Sunday concluded our week-long Tumblr series sharing sex ed stories from around the U.S. Be sure to check out Part 5, Part 6 and the finale to get a taste of what is happening in sex ed classrooms across the country.