Spotlight on Eric Meyer: The 28th Legislative District’s Champion for Health Care and Education

Posted on September 27, 2016 by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona

Dr. Eric Meyer is a champion. As an emergency department doctor, he’s seen how lack of access to health care impacts Arizonans every day. As a state representative from Legislative District 28, he’s also seen the impact of legislators putting the health and safety of everyone at risk when they attempt to practice medicine without a license. As a physician, it’s clear to Dr. Meyer that all medical decisions must be made by a patient and her doctor, not by the legislature. Therefore, as a candidate for the Arizona Senate, Dr. Meyer is poised to bring his wide-ranging experience to the highest legislative body in the state — if, on November 8, voters elect to send him back to the Capitol as a senator.

“Opposing [comprehensive sex education] is irresponsible and unfair to our state’s youth and the society as a whole.”

In 2014, the Arizona Mayors’ Education Roundtable released a report stating that high school dropouts cost the state $7.6 billion over the course of their lifetime. There is a direct correlation between medically accurate comprehensive sexual education and a reduction in teen pregnancy rates. Similarly, there is a direct correlation between teen pregnancy and school dropout rates, which leads to poverty and translates to high costs to the state. Why, then, do so many state lawmakers stridently oppose comprehensive sex education on the one hand, while on the other hand they decry teen pregnancy and high-school dropouts?

Luckily, during his eight years in the Arizona House of Representatives, Dr. Eric Meyer has built a consistent voting record when it comes to promoting education and preventing teen pregnancy, and he is prepared to continue this fight on the Senate floor. “We must develop a thoughtful, statewide policy to address these issues,” Meyer stated. “The most fundamental, basic first step to breaking this cycle is to provide statewide comprehensive, medically accurate sexual education for all teenagers.” Continue reading →

Reproductive Justice?

Posted on March 9, 2016 by Rachel Port

President Bill Clinton stands by as Ruth Bader Ginsburg is sworn in as associate Supreme Court justice in 1993

When Justice Antonin Scalia died on February 13, 2016, it was the death of more than just one man. For the first time in 20 years, the fairly reliable conservative tilt of the Supreme Court vanished. Now there were four generally liberal justices, three remaining consistently conservative justices, and Anthony Kennedy, a moderate who, though usually conservative, could move to the left, especially on social issues, as we saw in his eloquent opinion in support of same-sex marriage. If Kennedy voted with the conservatives, it would result in a tie, not a 5-4 decision. In case of a tied vote on the Supreme Court, the lower court ruling holds, and if there are conflicting rulings in different circuits, we continue with different law in different parts of the country.

Or the court could order a rehearing of a case once a new justice is seated.

The makeup of the Supreme Court is a glaring example of how much is at stake in presidential elections.

The political wheels started turning immediately. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell almost immediately announced that Scalia’s seat should be filled after “the American people” weigh in during the presidential election — Republicans always seem to forget that the American people have already weighed in twice by making Barack Obama president. This categorical rejection of any Obama nominee, no matter who, is unprecedented. Scalia’s seat was apparently sacred, and could only fairly be filled by a Republican appointee. McConnell does not seem to consider that the next president might also be a Democrat.

The change in the balance of the court was apparent in the first of two cases concerning reproductive health that were scheduled to be heard this month. (The second case, Zubik v. Burwell, will be argued on March 23.) At SCOTUSblog, Lyle Denniston analyzed the oral arguments in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt. It was always clear that the outcome would hinge on Justice Kennedy, and, before Scalia’s death, that in all likelihood the Texas law requiring abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals, and abortion clinics to meet ambulatory surgical clinic requirements, would be upheld. Continue reading →

Pro-Choice Friday News Rundown

Posted on August 7, 2015 by Stacey S.

The GOP debates were last night. Just an FYI: Every single one of those dingbats has deplorable, antiquated views on women’s reproductive rights and health. (Bustle)
The foolery surrounding unfounded allegations that Planned Parenthood has been illegally selling fetal tissue has reached ASININE LOWS, people. (NYT)
And it’s helped three state governments reach their ultimate goal of defunding us and further chipping away at women’s reproductive rights. Alabama is the latest. (CNN)
Speaking of Ass Backward Alabama, these clowns tried to snatch the parental rights of a pregnant prison inmate to stop her from getting an abortion! What in the hell! (Guardian)
With regard to fetal tissue, several organizations agreed to speak with The New York Times about their involvement in obtaining fetal tissue for the purpose of medical research on numerous degenerative diseases, such as leukemia, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Parkinson’s disease, and others. (NYT)
Scientific and medical research is already beginning to suffer as a result of this fetal tissue non-scandal. Colorado State University officials have suspended the school from acquiring fetal tissue from entities linked to Planned Parenthood until “Congressional investigations are concluded.” (RH Reality Check)
Thank you, Salon, for covering the facts of this debacle in a reasonable manner. And exposing the fact that Planned Parenthood has prevented possibly 3 million abortions in 2013 and 2014 by providing affordable or free birth control to those in need. (Salon)
Ebony has a magnificent piece on what you absolutely must know about Planned Parenthood and black women. (Ebony)
Warren Buffett has funded a birth control revolution on the down low?!? #WhoKnew (Bloomberg)
The Economist has quite the chilling piece on how “exceptionally deadly” childbirth is in the United States. Gee, almost seems like women should have a choice about whether or not they want to risk their lives giving birth to a child rather than having it forced upon them, right? (The Economist)
The birth control pill has prevented how many instances of cancer in the last decade?! (Time)
In case it slipped your mind, our senator, John McCain, is still The Worst. (Phoenix New Times)