We are so grateful to everyone who was able to testify in support of the Equality in Abortion Coverage Act (EACA) bill when it was heard in the Senate. It’s time to keep up the fight for abortion coverage in our hearing THIS THURSDAY!
Speak out to help get rid of bans on health coverage for abortion for state employees and the Medicaid program.
4 THINGS YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW TO HELP PASS THIS IMPORTANT BILL:
1) Sign up to do virtual testimony. It’s easy.
Fill out this form: http://bit.ly/H5787VirtualTestimony to sign up to testify in support of H5787, the Equality in Abortion Coverage Act. We can even provide talking points. Just contact us at [email protected].
The deadline to sign-up is 4pm on Wednesday.
2) Submit Written Testimony
Written testimony needs to be submitted to HouseFinance@rilegislature.
Include “FOR H5787” in the subject and get it in before 2pm, so it will make the deadline for written testimony.
3) Make ONE call TODAY. Call House Finance Marvin Abney (401-487-1380) and urge him to get this bill passed out of his committee.
Sample Message: “I am calling in support of H5787. Many people in our state are struggling to get by. We should not make it worse by taking away affordable access to abortion services. Please, do all you can to pass this bill this year and get rid of harmful bans on health coverage for abortion. This is critical to closing gaps in access to care.”
4) Send an email RIGHT NOW to committee members. Copy and paste these addresses into an email to Finance committee members:
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected]
AND
clerk, [email protected]
Sample message: I am writing to urge you to vote YES on H5787, the Equality in Abortion Coverage Act when it comes before you on Thursday, May 13th. Rhode Island voters pushed to protect the right to abortion. This bill make sure that state employees and low-income people can afford care by getting rid of discriminatory bans on health coverage for abortion. Please, support this important legislation. We should eliminate barriers to health services, not make it harder to get.”
It will only take a moment – please, send an email TODAY!
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We all worked so hard to protect the right to abortion, but there is no right if people can’t afford to get an abortion because their health insurance won’t cover it. This is a matter of reproductive and racial justice. It is an issue of health equity.
Do not delay. If you can testify, awesome! If not, please at least make ONE phone call and SEND an email to the committee members TODAY!
Please, do what you can to help push this important — and needed — policy change!