Dear Friends,, We’ve got three important updates we need to put on your radar today: | |
#1: State Senators will hear a “strike everything amendment” about sex education Thursday. A “strike everything” (aka “striker”) amendment is used to delete the entire text of a bill and replace it with something completely unrelated. In this case, HB2035 — formerly about water protection — is turning into a bill about sex education. We won't have the striker details until right before the hearing. But legislation typically isn’t assigned to committee unless there’s a strong possibility of it passing. And with the makeup of the Legislature, this means HB2035 is likely an anti-sex education bill, possibly with impacts to reproductive rights or the LGBTQ community. HB2035 is available for comment by Request to Speak users now. (Note that the bill’s title will still read as “appropriation; Arizona water protection fund.”) We'll keep you posted once we know more. | |
#2: Public comments are now open about reforming Title X. Under the Trump administration, a dangerous anti-abortion "gag rule" on Title X made health care more difficult to access for patients with low incomes. Now the US Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) under President Biden is proposing steps to end this rule. We have a chance to make our voices heard. You can use this form to submit a comment that tells HHS that you support the proposed rule changes to Title X which would roll back the incredible harm of the gag rule. | |
