Over 400 attend Pro-Choice Lobby Day at Virginia General Assembly

Over 400 pro-choice advocates lobbied the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond, Virginia today, September 24 with visitors to state senators and delegates and meetings, demonstrations, and rallies. Planned Parenthood, the National Organization for Women, and the National Abortion Rights Action League sponsored the events.

A Planned Parenthood spokeswoman said,  "Those participating in Pro-Choice Lobby Day today encourage state legislators to put prevention first and to trust women to make their own reproductive healthcare decisions.

"Because of EACH OF YOU, this year's lobby day was a HUGE success! Here are a few highlights from lobby day:

• Throngs of high school and college students from around the state organized a "honk & wave" roadside demonstration outside the General Assembly Building
  
• About 60 lay people of faith and pro-choice clergy attended a People of Faith For Choice Gathering
  
• About 40 people attended the "Health Care Professionals for Reproductive Health & Choice" group to get organized, network, hear from Dr. Susan Wood, and sign-on to and deliver letters to key legislators
  
• Pro-Choice Republicans met to hear from Delegate Katherine Waddell (I - 68) to discuss reproductive rights and the Republican Party.
  
• Hundreds of Virginians gathered to end the day with an energizing rally at the Bell Tower. Speakers included Susan Anderson (Blacksburg City Council Member), Dr. Susan Wood (Former Assistant Commissioner for Women's health at the FDA), and Charlottesville high school student organizer Brian Bills).

"We THANK YOU for making your voice heard. Together, we are sending a message to Virginia legislators that we are the majority.

"Please oppose HB 2124 by Delegate Marshall. This bill states that if and when Roe v. Wade is overturned by the Supreme Court, Virginia would return the laws on its books in 1970, making abortion a crime. The majority of Americans oppose criminalizing abortion or otherwise banning abortion, and legislators who support this type of legislation are totally out of touch with mainstream America.

"Please also oppose HB 1883 by Delegate Marshall. This bill imposes costly and unnecessary requirements on healthcare facilities where abortions are performed. This legislation does nothing to ensure better healthcare for women; instead, it aims to make providing abortions so difficult that there will be fewer providers in Virginia and the procedure cost prohibitive.

"Please support HB 2035, HB 2877, and SB 1230. HB 2035, and SB 1230 would add the HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) vaccine to the Virginia Board of Health's list of required immunizations. HB 2877 would require health insurance to provide coverage for HPV vaccines for women in accordance with the Center for Disease Control. These bills recognize that the HPV vaccine is a huge step forward in women's health, since the vaccine can protect women against the most virulent strains of HPV that cause 70% of cervical cancer.

"Lastly, legislators should support HB 2221 by Delegate Amundson. The Birth Control Protection Act (BCPA) would make it clear in the Code of Virginia that FDA-approved methods of birth control, like Emergency Contraception, should not be subject to Virginia's abortion laws (mandatory delay, parental consent, and state scripted counseling)."