It’s hard to believe, but it’s true: the 2012 Florida Legislative session officially ended Friday night and not one anti-choice bill was passed this year!
Despite persistent threats to reduce women’s access to reproductive health care – 10 anti-choice bills were introduced during this session, while a whopping 18 were introduced during 2011 – the Florida Legislature did not send the Governor any legislation for his signature that would reduce women’s access to essential health care services.
This is a great victory for women!
For those energetic souls who called, wrote or visited state legislators on behalf of women – thank you so much for your efforts and dedication! Without supporters like you, we would not have been able to stop the dangerous, invasive and restrictive bills that had been proposed. We are particularly encouraged that many legislators said “no” to efforts targeting health centers that provide the reproductive health care and family planning services that women need.
The “Women’s Health at Risk” report, released by the Florida Association of Planned Parenthood Affiliates, reveals that women’s health is in crisis in Florida, as women struggle to access affordable, quality health care. Nearly two million Florida women do not have health insurance – and nearly as many are in need of contraceptive services.
Would we be out of minds to hope that, now, legislators will work with Planned Parenthood to help women access quality reproductive health care services?
Well, we’ll just keep showing up in Tallahassee, and asking, and testifying – and we’ll continue growing our army of women and men who will not stop until women in Florida have full rights to health care!
You also might find these posts interesting:
- Florida 2012: Previewing the Legislative Session
- Women’s Health Under Attack (Again)
- Awake the State
- Ah, Sweet Victory!
- Cervical Cancer is Preventable
