Produced by the Legislative Committee of the Coconino County Democratic Party and Democrats of the Red Rocks
THIS WEEK’S ALERTS: Demand our reps pass the Reproductive Freedom for All
Act NOW!; Ask our reps to get the Women’s Health Protection Act reconsidered
and PASSED!; Push our Senators to support two important conservation bills!
Two important bills to protect our ability to make our own reproductive and
healthcare decisions and preserve bodily autonomy:
A. Get our Senators to support the Reproductive Freedom for All Act! The
Reproductive Freedom for All Act (S. 4688) would codify the core protections
of Roe into federal law. It would also guarantee access to contraceptives and
enshrine elements of other Supreme Court decisions involving reproductive
rights.
According to the text of the bill, the court has long held that the provisions of
equal protection and due process under the law contained in the 14 th
Amendment guarantee the right to make certain reproductive decisions
without government interference.
Republican senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Maine’s Susan Collins
along with Virginia Democrat Tim Kaine, and Kristin Sinema are co-sponsors.
Supporters say the bill is crucial in order to protect people’s ability to make
their own healthcare decisions regardless of where they live. Demand our
Representatives do all they can to get this act passed!! Encourage
Senator Mark Kelly to sign on as a co-sponsor. This bill has been referred
to the Committee on the Judiciary; though neither of our two senators is a
member of that committee, we can encourage them both to contact
Senator Dick Durbin, the committee chair, to have that committee hold
hearings on this bill to advance it to full consideration.
B. The Women’s Health Protection Act would stop the Republican onslaught
of anti-abortion and abortion-restrictive legislation coming out of state
legislatures across the country. It would block states from creating barriers to
care and would protect health service providers’ ability to offer abortion care.
It passed the House in 2021 without a single Republican vote but failed to
pass the Senate. Both our senators were co-sponsors of an earlier version of
this bill. Push Senators Sinema and Kelly to advocate for getting this bill
brought to the Senate floor for reconsideration and passage!
Two important bills related to conservation and environment:
C. The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act passed the House in June, and
now awaits only a vote in the Senate to cross the finish line! This
legislation would use fees and penalties from environmental violations to fund
conservation and recovery activities for plants and animals of high
conservation concern across all states, territories, and tribal lands. Both our
senators are co-sponsors of the earlier Senate version of the bill. Encourage
them to have this bill (with its strong bipartisan support) brought to the
Senate floor for a vote and final approval!
D. A major new bill has been introduced to protect and restore grassland
landscapes, including Arizona’s desert grasslands and open rangelands in
northern Arizona. The North American Grasslands Conservation Act (S
4639) has been introduced in the Senate and referred to the Committee
on Environment and Public Works. These working landscapes – and their
birds and other wildlife – are among the most endangered in North America.
This legislation would provide some of the same framework for conservation
and restoration that drives forest health and protection. Senator Mark Kelly is
a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee; encourage
Senator Kelly to have the committee hold hearings and take action to
advance this bill soon!
Sen. Mark Kelly: Call (202) 224-2235 (DC), Email via his website at
http://www.kelly.senate.gov. Tag the Senator at @senmarkkelly.
Sen. Sinema: Call (202) 224-4521 (DC) or (602) 598-7327. Email via her
website at
http://www.sinema.senate.gov. Tag the Senator at @senatorsinema.
Rep. Tom O’Halleran: Call (202) 225-3361 (DC) or email via website at
https://ohalleran.house.gov/contact Tag the Congressman @RepOHalleran