Produced by the Legislative Committee of the Coconino County Democratic Party and Democrats of the Red Rocks
While our focus needs to continue on GOTV, here are a couple of quick actions that you can take to help shore up our democracy and advance reproductive freedom:
ENCOURAGE OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TO WORK TOWARDS PASSAGE OF THE ELECTORAL COUNT AND PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION REFORM ACT
Congress has made great strides towards developing legislation (S. 4573 and HR 8873) that would address threats to the electoral count and prevent presidential candidates and state legislators with an autocratic bent from hijacking our votes.
The proposed legislation would:
- Clarify that the vice president has only a ministerial role in counting electoral votes;
- Close the loophole that allows state legislatures to declare a “failed” election and potentially overrule the decision of the voters;
- Ensure an expedited judicial process to resolve disputes about the validity of electoral votes;
- Ensure that courts could review whether a governor has appropriately certified a state’s electors;
- Provide for a more expedited judicial review process; and
- Make clear that nothing in the bill impedes the role of state courts in ensuring fair elections.
It now remains for the Senate and House to harmonize their two versions of the proposed legislation and ensure that it passes before this Congress adjourns.
Contact our Senators and Congressman to encourage them to move this legislation to the top of their “To Do” List.
Sen. Mark Kelly: Call (202) 224-2235 (DC); Email via his website at https://www.kelly.senate.gov/contact/. Tag the Senator at @senmarkkelly.
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema: Call (202) 224-4521 (DC) or (602) 598-7327. Email via her website at
https://www.sinema.senate.gov/contact-kyrsten. 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
SUPPORT FDA ACTION TO APPROVE OTC BIRTH CONTROL PILLS
The Food and Drug Administration has scheduled a meeting to review an application by the drug manufacturer, Laboratoire HRA Pharma, to make OPILL (norgestrel tablet, a hormonal birth control pill) available for nonprescription use as a once-a-day oral contraceptive to prevent pregnancy.
If the FDA approves this application, pharmacies, grocery stories, other retail establishments, and online retailers could sell OPILL over-the-counter (OTC).
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Medical Association both support making hormonal contraceptives, including birth control pills, available over-the-counter without age restriction as a means of reducing unwanted pregnancies.
The deadline for submitting comments is Thursday, November 17, at 11:59 pm if submitted electronically. If you are submitting written comments by mail or other means of hand-delivery, your comments must be received at FDA no later than November 17. All comments must include the FDA Docket Number: FDA-2022-N-1959.
For more information and to comment electronically, visit https://www.regulations.gov/document/FDA-2022-N-1959-0001.
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