NIRH Applauds Virginia Senate for Passage of Historic Legislation Removing Barriers to Abortion Care and Expanding Reproductive Freedom
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 30, 2020
Contact: Julien Martinez, [email protected]
Statement from Andrea Miller, president, National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH)
NEW YORK – Andrea Miller, president of the National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH), released the following statement today after the Virginia Senate passed the Reproductive Health Protection Act, following the passage of the bill by the Virginia House of Delegates yesterday. If signed into law, this legislation would remove political interference between a patient and their doctor and eliminate medically unnecessary restrictions for a patient seeking access to abortion. The passage of this bill underscores the importance of state and local action in the face of attacks from hostile politicians and judges against reproductive freedom.
“This week, Virginia has taken one more step toward expanding reproductive freedom, undoing decades of politically motivated abortion restrictions designed to push abortion care out of reach,” said Andrea Miller, president of the National Institute for Reproductive Health. “The passage of the Reproductive Health Protection Act by the State Senate is the direct result of the 2019 election, and is proof that when voters rise up to demand change, they have the power to reshape the legislatures and improve the lives of people across the state. This win is a great start to 2020 and an indication of what is possible in states around the country this year.”
NIRH partners with state organizations and elected officials to pass laws protecting abortion rights and expanding abortion access. NIRH and its Action Fund have partnered with advocates in Virginia over the past five years to elect champions for reproductive freedom and push forward proactive policy on abortion access, while building a positive narrative for reproductive freedom. In 2020, NIRH is also working with partners in Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, and New Jersey, among others, to continue passing laws that expand access to abortion, creating as many oases for abortion access as possible.
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The National Institute for Reproductive Health builds power at the state and local level to change public policy, galvanize public support, and normalize women’s decisions about abortion and contraception.
Using a partnership model, NIRH provides state and local advocates with strategic guidance, hands-on support, and funding to create national change from the ground up. We form strategic partnerships with a wide range of organizations to directly impact the reproductive health and lives of women across the country. Each year, NIRH works in about half the states and more than a dozen localities; to date, NIRH has partnered with 175 reproductive health, rights, and justice organizations in 43 states and 64 localities across the country.