Action Alert: GOP War on Women returns with Planned Parenthood defunding bill today

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The GOP War on Women resumes today with a vote in the Arizona Senate on HB 2800, a bill designed to defund Planned Parenthood, denying low-income women access to preventitive health care and family planning services because Planned Parenthood also provides safe and legal abortion services. Call your state senator in oppostion to this punitive measure.

The hearing is scheduled for 10:00 a.m., Senate floor, 1700 W. Washington St., Phoenix.

The bill has already passed the House. Senate approval would send this punitive measure to the Governor.

While you are speaking to your senator, also express your opposition to HB 2625 ("strike everything" amendment), i.e., the "Baby Blunt" bill that would allow employers and insurers to object to contraceptive coverage in health insurance plans based upon the religious or moral objections of the employer or insurer. Contraception bill's wording on exemption being debated:

Last-minute debate on legislation to loosen Arizona's requirement for health-plan coverage of contraception now centers on whether the bill's latest version still leaves the door open for a wide variety of employers to drop the coverage.

Opponents of the legislation say its latest wording is so broad that any employer could drop the required coverage by changing its legal records to proclaim itself a religiously minded organization.

Backers of the bill acknowledge there's a potential for that to happen.

UPDATE: Those sneaky snakes! The Arizona Capitol Times reports that the Seante skipped the scheduled vote on Planned Parenthood (so you still have time to contact your seantors). But over in the House the "Baby Blunt" bill, HB 2625 was brought to a vote and passed by a vote of 36-21. House passes narrowed-down contraception bill | Arizona Capitol Times:

The amended version allows an employer whose incorporation papers “clearly state that it is a religiously motivated organization and whose religious beliefs are central to the organization’s operating principles” to opt out of providing contraceptives. Churches are already exempted [under existing state law] from providing contraception coverage.