THE VOICE FOR CHOICE
NARAL PRO-CHOICE COLORADO
Fall 2005 • 1905 Sherman St., Suite 800 • Denver, Colorado 80203 • (303) 394-1973 • www.ProChoiceColorado.org
CHOOSE JUSTICE: STOP ROBERTS!
W
ith the retirement of Justice Sandra
Day O’Connor in July, and the
passing away of Chief Justice
William Rehnquist in September, the
Supreme Court is poised for a monumental
change that will profoundly impact the
daily lives of ordinary Americans.
President Bush has nominated John
Roberts—who can’t be counted on to
protect a woman’s right to choose—to
replace Rehnquist as Chief Justice. If
Roberts is confirmed to a lifetime appointment, he could pose a tremendous threat to
reproductive freedom and women’s health.
As Principal Deputy Solicitor General
under the first President Bush, Roberts coauthored a brief before the Supreme Court
arguing “We continue to believe that Roe
was wrongly decided.” In the same position,
he even argued before the Supreme Court in
support of clinic blockaders including the
notorious group, Operation Rescue.
Please help us expose
the truth about Roberts
Never has the right to choose been more
at risk.
For months, NARAL Pro-Choice
Colorado has been mobilizing pro-choice
grassroots support through the "Choose
Justice" Campaign. One element of the
campaign was a massive signature gathering effort on a petition encouraging
Colorado’s U.S. Senators to only support
judicial nominees who will uphold the
tenets of Roe v. Wade. On Wednesday,
September 21st, activists gathered at the
Colorado State Capitol to deliver
more than 10,000 petition signatures to
Senators Ken Salazar and Wayne Allard,
asking them for a “no” vote on Roberts’
nomination.
To find out more, or to get involved,
please visit www.ProChoiceColorado.org.
The truth is:
He advocated that Roe v. Wade be
overturned.
He has questioned the constitutionally
protected right to choose.
He sided with clinic blockaders,
including the notorious group,
Operation Rescue.
He is strongly supported by the
radical right.
His record is out of step with the 65%
of Americans who are solidly prochoice and support Roe v. Wade.
The Long Road to Over-the-Counter Plan B®
I
n late August, the FDA bowed to political
pressure from the Bush administration and
(again!) delayed approval of Plan B’s over-thecounter application. The FDA has been dragging
their feet for the last 2+ years, despite the fact that
volumes of scientific research, the nation's leading
medical organizations, and the FDA's own independent advisory committees and expert staff
have overwhelmingly agreed that Plan B
belongs over-the-counter.
Read more about the history of this campaign
below and visit the “Take Action” section at
www.ProChoiceColorado.org to write a letter to
the FDA and tell them: “No More Delays!”
July 1999: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves Plan B, an emergency contraceptive
(EC), finding it safe and effective for women of
all ages to use as a prescription product.
April 21, 2003: The manufacturer of Plan B files
an application with the FDA to make it available
over-the-counter (OTC).
December 16, 2003: FDA independent panel of
reproductive health experts votes 23-4 to recommend Plan B be made available OTC, with no age
restriction. The panel also votes unanimously that
Plan B is safe for non-prescription use.
May 6, 2004: Dr. Steven Galson, Acting Director
of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research,
overrides FDA professional staff recommendations and issues a “not approvable” letter to Plan
B’s manufacturer, citing concerns about young
teens using the drug.
July 22, 2004: Plan B manufacturer submits a
revised over-the-counter proposal to FDA, which
would make it available to women 16 and older
without a prescription, while requiring one for
women 15 and under.
January 21, 2005: FDA fails to issue a decision
on the Plan B application by the deadline
imposed under the federal law governing performance standards for drug approvals.
March 17, 2005: Members of the Senate HELP
Committee question FDA Acting Commissioner
Lester Crawford about the agency’s inaction on
the Plan B OTC application during hearings on
his nomination to permanently head the FDA.
Unsatisfied with Crawford’s answers, Sens.
Clinton (D-NY), Murray (D-WA) and Kennedy
(D-MA) request a closed-door meeting with him.
April 6, 2005: Following the closed-door meeting,
Sens. Clinton (D-NY) and Murray (D-WA)
announce their intention to place a “hold” on
Crawford’s nomination, citing the FDA’s failure
to act on a host of public health issues—including
the Plan B OTC application—during Crawford’s
tenure as acting commissioner.
July 15, 2005: Senators Clinton and Murray lift
the “hold” on Crawford’s nomination to head the
FDA after receiving assurances from Health and
Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt that the
FDA will act on the Plan B OTC application by
September 1.
July 18, 2005: Dr. Lester Crawford is confirmed
as the new FDA Commissioner.
August 26, 2005: The FDA delays the approval
of the Plan B OTC application, stating that the
available scientific data is sufficient to support
the safe use of Plan B as an OTC product. But,
notwithstanding this clear scientific determination, the FDA also informs Plan B’s manufacturer
that it intends to seek public comment (until
November 1st) on issues related to the approval
of a product that has OTC status for patients 17
and older and prescription status for patients 16
and under.
STAY TUNED . . .
UPDATE
From the Interim Executive Director
Dear NARAL
Pro-Choice
Colorado
Family,
NARAL
PRO-CHOICE
COLORADO
1905 Sherman Street, Suite 800
Denver, Colorado 80203
(303) 394-1973
FAX (303) 388-1692
http://www.ProChoiceColorado.org
[email protected]
The mission of NARAL Pro-Choice
Colorado is to develop and sustain
a constituency that uses the political
process to guarantee every woman
the right to make personal
decisions regarding the full range of
reproductive health choices, including
preventing unintended pregnancies,
bearing healthy children and
choosing legal abortion.
NARAL PRO-CHOICE
COLORADO STAFF
Jeanette Blize, Political Organizer
Stefanie Carroll,
Public Education Director
Jessie Danielson, Political Director
Meg Froelich,
Interim Executive Director
It is a time of
transition for
NARAL ProChoice
Colorado. Beth
Ganz, Executive
Director, has
accepted a position in Washington,
D.C. I am Chair of the PAC Board,
and it is my privilege to now serve as
your Interim Executive Director. We
are currently in the process of selecting
a permanent Executive Director, who
should be in place this fall.
In addition, Jessie Danielson, our
long-time Field Director, has been promoted to Political Director and Katie
Norris, who has been our Office and
Technology Administrator for the past
year, has now agreed to be our
Volunteer Coordinator as well. Congratulations! We are looking forward
to an exciting 2006.
Jeanette Blize, our Political
Organizer, has taken the lead in the
“Choose Justice” Campaign, which was
formed earlier this year in anticipation
of a Supreme Court vacancy. With the
resignation of Sandra Day O’Connor,
the battle intensified because she was a
critical swing vote on several key cases.
With the nomination of John Roberts,
our “Choice Threat Advisory” alert at
www.ProChoiceColorado.org went to
“Severe.” Now that Roberts might take
Chief Justice William Rehnquist’s seat,
we will see his conservative agenda
clearly. These are challenging times.
The other big federal news came late
this summer as the Food and Drug
Administration bowed to political
pressure by the Bush Administration
(again!) and delayed promised action
on Barr Laboratories’ application to
allow Plan B® to be sold over-thecounter to women 17 years and older.
(Younger women would still have to
obtain a prescription.)
We are profoundly disappointed
with this lack of action. Over-thecounter access to emergency contraception (EC) could dramatically lower
the number of unintended pregnancies
and abortions in this country and
Colorado. In response, NARAL ProChoice Colorado has pledged to intensify its education and awareness campaign about emergency contraception.
Stefanie Carroll, our Public Education
Director, will soon unveil a new resource guide, The Emergency
Contraception Resource Handbook for
Colorado, which will feature medically
accurate information about emergency
contraception, as well as a directory of
over 500 health care providers and
pharmacies across the state where
women can go to receive and/or fill
prescriptions for EC.
On the state level, we currently
have NO pro-choice candidates for
Governor. With the Supreme Court in
flux, it is highly likely that basic
reproductive rights will be decided at a
state level. We must elect a pro-choice
Governor and maintain our pro-choice
majorities in the State Legislature.
Although the NPCC staff and board
are incredibly busy right now, we
couldn’t do what we do without the
members, donors, volunteers and
activists who help us protect choice on
a daily basis. THANK YOU for your
commitment.
For Choice,
Meg Froelich
Interim Executive Director
Katie Norris,
Tech/Office Administrator and
Volunteer Coordinator
Help NARAL Pro-Choice
Colorado PAC
get ready for the 2006 Elections!
NARAL PRO-CHOICE
COLORADO
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jeff McDowell, Chair
Jennifer Tucker, Secretary
Barbara Margolis, Treasurer
Anne Button
Hilary Chouinard
Lisa Flores
Meg Froelich
Jill Hanauer
Patty Hauptman
Craig Hughes
Flora Jewell-Stern
Kathy Knaus
Ellen Marshall
Todd Saliman
NARAL PRO-CHOICE
COLORADO
FOUNDATION BOARD
Stephanie Rudnick, Chair
Jenny Davies-Schley, Secretary
Karen Tomb, Treasurer
Beverly Breakstone
Ellen Marshall
Jacky Morales-Ferrand
Sue Murahata, MD
NARAL PRO-CHOICE
COLORADO PAC BOARD
There is a lot at stake in the 2006 Elections!
We must:
• Protect our Pro-Choice Majorities at the
State Capitol
• Elect a Pro-Choice Governor
Campaign finance rules limit annual
contributions to our Small Donor Committee
(SDC) to $50.00 per calendar year, but you can
do it every year.
Please don’t miss this opportunity to make
your 2005 contribution before it’s too late!
Return the enclosed envelope with your
NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado PAC
contribution today.
NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado PAC is our
only entity that can work directly to elect
pro-choice candidates in Colorado.
Meg Froelich, Chair
Travis Berry
Hilary Chouinard
Amy Livingston
Peter Minahan
Bob Nelson
Monica Piergrossi
NEWSLETTER
Stefanie Carroll, Editor
Heather Hutchison,
Design & Layout
2
The Voice For Choice • Fall 2005
~
Save the Date!
2006 Choice
Celebration and Auction
Mark Your Calendar
The 24th Annual Choice Celebration and
Auction is coming. . .
Saturday, April 22, 2006
5:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m.
Grand Hyatt, Denver
Look for more information
in early 2006
~
Meet Katie Norris, our Technology and Office Administrator. She has been with
us for the past year and now has another name to add to her title—Volunteer
Coordinator.
If you are interested in volunteering at the NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado office
during the day or would like to attend a monthly “Volunteer Night,” please
contact Katie at 303-394-1973, ext. 17 or [email protected].
You can also sign-up to volunteer on-line at:
www.ProChoiceColorado.org
Will You Be Able to Access EC if You Need It?
W
ill your local pharmacy fill your prescription for emergency contraception
(EC)? Can you even get a prescription
for EC from your physician?
Beginning in October, you’ll be able to
check NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado’s The
Emergency Contraception Resource Handbook
for Colorado, which will feature medically
accurate information about emergency
contraception, as well as a directory of over
500 health care providers and pharmacies
across the state where women can go to receive
and/or fill prescriptions for emergency
contraception (EC).
“With so much mis-information about
emergency contraception out there right now,
it’s critical for NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado
to continue acting as the leading resource to
promote personal responsibility, prevent unintended pregnancies and ensure access to all
reproductive health-care options that are available,” says Meg Froelich, Interim Executive
Director. “Our 2005 guide plays an important
role by informing women, physicians and
pharmacists about resources that will help
women make responsible choices about their
reproductive health care.”
While the number of clinics and pharmacies
women can go to for EC has increased since
the last time the EC guide was published,
there are still places in Colorado where
women cannot obtain EC. NARAL Pro-
Choice Colorado was unable to identify any
clinics that either dispense or write prescriptions for EC, as well as any pharmacies that
fill prescriptions for EC, in 7 Colorado
counties, including Bent, Custer, Dolores,
Kiowa, Mineral, San Juan and Crowley.
That means that thousands of women of reproductive age have no access to EC in the
counties in which they live.
While this is certainly cause for concern in
rural Colorado, NPCC is happy to report
that the overall number of counties WITH
access to EC has increased dramatically since
we last published our EC guides in 2003. In
fact, the 2005 edition of the guide features
more than 180 health-care providers that
dispense or write prescriptions for EC and
over 330 pharmacies in Colorado that fill EC
prescriptions.
And, with the FDA having delayed (again!)
the decision to approve Plan B® (a type of
emergency contraceptive) for over-the-counter
distribution, the guide will be more critical
than ever, as individual women, health care
providers and pharmacists alike will be able to
use the guide to locate EC providers in their
cities and counties until it becomes more
widely accessible.
For more information about how you can
help make EC more accessible in Colorado,
please contact Stefanie Carroll, Public
Education Director, at 303-394-1973, ext. 16
or [email protected].
Update from the Field
Summer Outreach: A Great Success!
This summer, we tabled at six
festivals across Colorado and
collected over 10,000 signatures
for our “Choose Justice” petition
encouraging the nomination of a
Supreme Court Justice who will
protect our individual liberties
and uphold the tenets of Roe v.
Wade.
We couldn’t have been so
successful without DeeDee
Cada, our Summer Outreach
Coordinator, and the over 100
activists who volunteered for a
shift at the NARAL Pro-Choice
Colorado booth.
West” was also featured.
“I would love to see more
Voices for Choices events in the
future,” said Jeanette Blize,
NARAL Pro-Choice
Colorado’s Political Organizer.
“It’s the sharing of stories that
really makes the pro-choice
movement grow.”
Thanks to Laurie LynxxeMurphy, owner of Pod and
Capsule, for donating her space
and to the artists who donated
their time and talents!
AVAILABLE FALL 2005 NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado’s Access Project
is proud to announce that our newest bilingual
publication, The Emergency Contraception
Resource Handbook for Colorado, will be
available in October 2005.
This up-to-date resource guide provides
comprehensive information about emergency
contraception (EC) and referrals to over 500
clinics and pharmacies across the state.
It is the must-have resource for . . .
Health care providers
Public health professionals
High school nurses and counselors
College/university student health centers
Sexual assault/domestic violence prevention
groups
Social service agencies
Youth/teen advocacy organizations
Or anyone who is interested in accessing EC!
To pre-order your FREE copy of the guide,
please contact Stefanie Carroll, Public
Education Director, at 303-394-1973, ext. 16 or
[email protected].
The on-line version will soon be available at:
www.ProChoiceColorado.org
Become a Volunteer Lobbyist
Join the Constituent Lobby Network (CLN)!
Do you want to make a difference for reproductive rights in
Colorado, but don’t have a lot of time to commit? NARAL ProChoice Colorado invites you to join the Constituent Lobby
Network (CLN).
The Constituent Lobby Network is your opportunity to directly
impact public policy and help protect reproductive rights for all
Coloradans. You can get involved in the political process by making
your pro-choice voice heard in our State Legislature and in
Congress. Volunteer to contact your legislators and strengthen our
statewide network of constituent lobbyists from January–May 2006.
Please contact Jessie Danielson, Political Director, at 303-3941973, ext. 13 or [email protected] for more
information or to sign up as a CLN member.
You can also sign up online at: www.ProChoiceColorado.org.
Musical Performers
Denver Choice Action
Team (CAT) Event
In August, the Denver Choice
Action Team (CAT) held its first
“Voices for Choices Celebration” at Pod and Capsule
Gallery. “We wanted to have an
event to celebrate freedom and
reproductive choice in our
community,” explained Stephanie
Shearer, the event organizer and
CAT member.
“Voices for Choices” featured
visual and musical artists who interpreted a story about reproductive choice and created an
original work from that story.
Artwork from “Ladyfest Out
Jennifer Friedman, Singer/
Songwriter
Tanya Brody, Harp/Singer
Michi Regier, Fiddle
Visual Artists
Jack Collins
Patrick Doherty
Sara Thurston
The Denver Choice Action
Team (CAT) meets once a
month. Please contact Jessie
Danielson, Political Director, at
303-394-1973, ext. 13 or
jdanielson@ProChoice
Colorado.org for more information or if you are interested in
joining.
Musical Performers Tanya Brody and Michi Regier entertain the audience at the
first-ever “Voices for Choices Celebration,” organized by Denver Choice Action
Team (CAT) members this summer at Pod and Capsule Gallery.
Fall 2005 • The Voice For Choice
3
In Other News
An update on reproductive health care policy from around the US
South Dakota Governor Signs Four Anti-Abortion Bills, Including
One That Would Ban Abortion if Supreme Court Strikes Down
Roe v. Wade.
In March 2005, South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds (R) signed four
separate bills restricting a woman’s right to choose. The first would ban
all abortions—even in the case of rape, incest or to save the life of the
woman—should Roe v. Wade be ruled unconstitutional. New
restrictions also included recognizing a fetus as a person and granting
them equal treatment under the constitution, and even stricter regulations
on access to abortion for women under the age of 18, including mandatory parental notification even in the case of an emergency procedure.
Kansas Governor Stands Up for Women and Criticizes State AG
for Invasion of Private Medical Records.
Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius (D) and 14 state representatives
publicly criticized the state Attorney General Phil Kline (R) for his
attempts to access the medical records of women who have had abortions at or after 22 weeks. The Attorney General claimed that the
medical records, including the patient’s name, medical history, birth
control practices, psychological profile and sexual history, were necessary to investigate possible violations of laws limiting late abortions
and reporting requirements for suspected sexual abuse.
California Voters to Vote in November on Ballot Initiative Severely
Restricting Access to Abortion.
The November 2005 ballot in California will present voters with the
opportunity to severely restrict access to abortion services for women
under the age of 18. The amendment, known as Proposition 73, would
amend the state constitution to require doctors to notify parents before women under the age of 18 may receive an abortion, no matter
what the current family situation may be.
Illinois Governor Issues Emergency Ruling Requiring Pharmacists
to Fill Birth Control Prescriptions.
In response to pharmacists refusing women the right to fill their birth
control prescriptions, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (D)
issued a ruling requiring pharmacies in the state to accept and fill
prescriptions for contraceptives. Pharmacies can opt to not sell contraceptives. However, the rule requires that any pharmacy in the state
that sells any FDA-approved contraceptives must fill all prescriptions
for approved birth control, including emergency contraception, in a
timely manner.
Protect our rights from
your living room. . .
Get the House Party Started and
Host a Pro-Choice House Party!
Help educate your pro-choice friends
Recruit new activists and members
A fun and easy way to make a difference
We need House Party Hosts to volunteer. Sign up today!
Call our Political Director at 303-394-1973, ext. 13 for more
information, or email [email protected].
Help NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado PAC get ready for the 2006 Elections! Return the enclosed
envelope with your contribution today.
1905 Sherman Street
Suite 800
Denver, Colorado 80203
(303) 394-1973
www.ProChoiceColorado.org
NARAL
PRO-CHOICE
COLORADO
Host a House Party
Become a Volunteer Lobbyist
FDA Delays Plan B® Decision
(Again!)
Meet our Interim Executive
Director
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