Last week, as we marked International Women’s Day we were reminded that we have progress yet to make toward true equality, especially in the area of reproductive rights and justice.
Here in Arizona, Governor Katie Hobbs held a news conference, calling on the Arizona Legislature to pass her proposed legislation, “Right to Contraception Act,” guaranteeing women the right to contraception, including Plan B.
The same proposal was made last year, with Republicans blocking progress in both cases.
Mere inaction, however, wasn’t enough for Senate Majority Leader Sonny Borrelli. In addition to his barely-contained rage response to the mere suggestion that Republicans might curtail access to birth control, as they have in other states, he couldn’t resist the temptation to plunge right into plain-old-fashioned insult: “Like I said, Bayer Company invented aspirin,” he said, “Put it between your knees.”
This is the level of absurdity and ignorance we are up against. The threat to our reproductive freedoms is VERY real in Arizona.
So what’s up this week at the Legislature? Here are just a couple of the bills we are watching closely (find the full report to take action on here):
- Monday 3/11- a good bill, Newborn Screening, SB1020 will be up in House Health and Human Services. Newborn screening saves lives, and this bill adds a disorder. SUPPORT.
- Tuesday 3/12 – a concerning bill, SB1182, continues Republicans’ obsession with bathrooms and showers, and with shaming LGBTQ+ kids. OPPOSE.