We were fortunate to receive this thorough and thoughtful Action Alert from NARAL Pro-Choice America's Wyoming team:
Anti-choice Wyoming legislators are busy -- trying to make it more difficult for women to obtain abortion services. Please help us in our efforts to defeat House Bill No. HB0140 Abortion - 48 hour waiting period. The bill has been assigned to the House Judiciary Committee, and there will be a committee hearing on Tuesday, January 22, upon the noon recess. Please e-mail committee members between now and Tuesday and/or attend the committee hearing to voice your opposition to this alarming bill. These are the Judiciary Committee members: Dan Kirkbride (committee chair) - Dan.Kirkbride@wyoleg.gov
Sara Burlingame - Sara.Burlingame@wyoleg.gov
Chuck Gray (bill sponsor) - Chuck.Gray@wyoleg.gov
Mark Jennings (bill sponsor) - Mark.Jennings@wyoleg.gov
Charles Pelkey - Charles.Pelkey@wyoleg.gov
Bill Pownall - Bill.Pownall@wyoleg.gov
Tim Salazar - Tim.Salazar@wyoleg.gov
Clark Stith - Clark.Stith@wyoleg.gov
Art Washut - Art.Washut@wyoleg.gov
The hearing will be in Room L54 of the Jonah Bldg. at 3001 E. Pershing Blvd. in Cheyenne (L54 is to the right after one enters the building). This room has audio streaming, and you can try to listen online at the legislative website. The hearing will start after the House recesses around noon and will probably last until the House reconvenes, which is usually around 2:00 P.M. HB0140 "Abortion-48 hour waiting period" would require abortion providers to inform a patient about ultrasound and then wait 48 hours before performing the abortion. We oppose this bill because:
Waiting periods are medically unnecessary.
Waiting periods introduce a hurdle to obtaining medical care and intrude on the patient-provider relationship.
This bill implies and assumes that women cannot make informed decisions without the imposition of a government-mandated delay.
Waiting periods are especially difficult for low-income women, rural women, working women without sick leave, and battered women.
This bill singles out abortion care for unwarranted restrictions.
Sharon Breitweiser Executive Director NARAL Pro-Choice Wyoming www.prochoicewyoming.org
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