Bill is an attack on women's rights; Bill and process were both flawed
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 10, 2010
CONTACT:
Brandon Hensler, ACLU, (786) 363-2737 or media@aclufl.org
Stephanie Kunkel, Planned Parenthood, (850) 425-5097 or Stephanie.kunkel@fappa.org
Damien Filer, Progress Florida, (850) 212-1858 or damien@progressflorida.org
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Thirty-five organizations representing more than one million Floridians joined their voices today and sent Gov. Charlie Crist a letter urging him to veto HB 1143, which attacks women’s rights in Florida.
“This letter clearly shows the overwhelming support in Florida for women’s health care and against any interference into the doctor-patient relationship,” said Stephanie Kunkel, Executive Director of the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates. “The legislature should focus on passing legislation that provides real solutions to preventing unintended pregnancy, and reducing the need for abortion.”
The bill, if signed into law by Gov. Crist, would undermine women’s rights in Florida by putting government in the physician’s examination room and dictating to private companies what insurance they may provide to their employees.
“This is an extraordinary collaborative effort by a broad spectrum of organizations representing Floridians from all walks of life,” said Maria Kayanan. “This legislation puts lawmakers in the exam room, during the most fragile point in any woman’s life, and takes the medical decision away from her and her doctor. Politicians should not have played doctor in the legislature, but they did, so now it is the Governor’s responsibility to correct their mistake.”
HB 1143 intrudes on the doctor-patient relationship by mandating that a doctor perform an ultrasound for all women prior to receiving an abortion, preventing doctors from determining what is in the best interest of each individual patient. Further, the bill would restrict individuals and private businesses that receive tax credits from providing their employees with health insurance that covers abortion, even if they don’t use federal or state subsidies to purchase their plans. The bill goes far beyond both the Hyde Amendment and the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act by altogether precluding a person or company receiving a subsidy from buying comprehensive coverage in the exchange. Currently, more than 85% of employer-based health insurance plans cover abortion.
“The same people who don't want the federal government to mandate everyone have health insurance have no problem mandating what women do with their bodies,” said Progress Florida executive director Mark Ferrulo. “Clearly, the radical right-wing of the Florida Legislature is playing politics with women's health.”
Singling out abortion care – a service that only women need – and marginalizing it from all other care is discriminatory toward women. Access to affordable health care – including abortion care – is critical to protecting the health of women and their families. If HB 1143 were to be signed into law, the result will undoubtedly be the loss of comprehensive insurance coverage for the women of Florida.
The full text of the letter that was delivered to the Governor’s office today at noon is below:
May 10, 2010
The Honorable Charlie Crist
Governor, State of Florida
PL-05 The Capitol
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001
Dear Governor Crist,
We the undersigned organizations, representing more than one million Floridians, call upon you to veto HB 1143. This legislation would fundamentally change Florida law by restricting access to abortion for women in the state. HB 1143 is particularly troubling because despite its sweeping impact, it was never vetted through a single committee, nor given any opportunity for public comment.
By mandating an ultrasound prior to abortion, regardless of the medical situation of the individual patient, HB 1143 takes the practice of medicine out of the hands of doctors. HB 1143 could also result in women being forced to receive information they do not want and which their physician deems not appropriate, thereby infringing on their constitutional rights. A woman should be able to trust that the information she receives from her health care provider is, in fact, what her health care provider thinks is in her best interest, rather than what the state has mandated for women to receive. The decision about what medical procedures or information a patient needs is best left to women and their doctors to determine on a case-by-case basis.
The bill also restricts individuals and small businesses from purchasing health insurance that covers abortion, even if the individual or employer does not use federal or state subsidies to purchase their plan. A majority of private health insurance includes abortion coverage. If signed into law, this bill will result in women losing health care coverage they currently have today. This bill goes far beyond the Hyde Amendment or even the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act by prohibiting individuals from purchasing health insurance with their own private dollars that includes abortion coverage.
If HB 1143 is signed into law, it will result in more women receiving less health care and would deny women the ability to make private health care decisions. Please protect the doctor-patient relationship in Florida and the rights of individuals and small businesses to purchase health insurance plans of their choosing by vetoing HB 1143. The women of Florida deserve access to basic health care.
Sincerely,
Jane Nesbit, President,
Alta, Inc
Howard Simon, Executive Director
American Civil Liberties Union of Florida
Harriet Kurlander, Executive Director
American Jewish Congress, Southeast Region
Kristin Davy, Director
Bread and Roses Women's Health Center
Barbara Herring, President
Broward Pro-Choice Coalition
Sheila Magerman, President
Broward Region of Hadassah
Kathleen E. Aterno, Florida Director
Clean Water Action
Marcia Halpern, Treasurer
Emergency Medical Assistance
Nadine Smith, Executive Director
Equality Florida
Mark Alan Seigal, Chair
The Executive Committee of the Palm Beach County Democratic Party
Stephanie Kunkel, Executive Director
Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates
Chloe Pappas, Chair
Florida Atlantic University VOX: Voices for Planned Parenthood
Jane Strom, President
Florida Central Region of Hadassah
Bill Newton, Executive Director
Florida Consumer Action Network
Kari Vogler, President, Florida International University VOX Planned Parenthood
Donna Slutiak, President
Florida National Organization for Voices for Women
Whitney Green, President
Florida State University VOX Planned Parenthood
Alexander Lewy, President
Florida Young Democrats
Dianne Gottlieb, President
Greater Miami Region of Hadassah
Deirdre Macnab, President
League of Women Voters of Florida
Jill Tavlin Swartz, FL State Public Affairs Chair
National Council of Jewish Women
Marge Ellin, Co-President
National Council of Jewish Women/Sarasota-Manatee
Michelle Fortier, Director
North Florida Women's Health and Counseling Services, Inc
Tamecka Pierce, President
Organize Now
Rand Hoch, President and Founder
Palm Beach County Human Rights Council
Mark Ferrulo, Executive Director
Progress Florida
Ellis Robinson, President
Ruth’s List Florida Sante Fe College
Lyndsay Espinosa, President
VOX: Voices for Planned Parenthood
Monica Russo, President
SEIU Florida State Council
Julie Leach and Susan Hallock, co-chairs
Social Justice Committee of the
Unitarian Universalist Church
Cristina Calandruccio, President
University of Central Florida VOX: Voices for Planned Parenthood
Rocio Lopez, President
University of Florida VOX: Voices for for Planned Parenthood
Alyssa Comroe, President
University of Miami VOX: Voices for Planned Parenthood
Gregory Johnson, President and CEO
Urban League of Pinellas County
Wild Iris Books, Inc
Gainesville, FL
About the ACLU of Florida
The ACLU of Florida is freedom's watchdog, working daily in the courts, legislatures and communities to defend individual rights and personal freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. For additional information, visit our web site at: www.aclufl.org.
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