Choice

FALL 2016

2017 LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR Dear NARAL Members, Thanks to the hard work and support of NARAL members, this year we helped elect Manka Dhingra as the next State Senator for Washington's 45th District flipping the State Senate to a pro-choice majority! The need to secure a prochoice legislature had never been never more urgent: the Trump administration and Republican-controlled Congress are engaged in an all-out assault on reproductive freedom. From hiding "personhood language" in their tax plan to attempting to stop a young immigrant woman from recieving care: our rights are under attack. We have long been a leader in protecting and advancing access to abortion and affordable birth control. Our members have worked to pass landmark nationleading legislation for decades. In the 2018 Washington State Legislative Session, with your help, we will advance bills to:

Guarantee affordable birth control by mandating insurance coverage of birth control without cost-sharing. Protect access to abortion care by guaranteeing all insurance plans cover all pregnancy options including maternity care and abortion.

NEWS

"EVERYONE has the right to decide when, whether, how, and with whom to start a family" Right now, in preparation for our 2018 battles, our team is traveling the state gathering input on our policy priorities so we have a statewide strategy informed by our grassroots members. Our Statewide Listening Tour give us the chance to connect with our members on their own turf. It shouldn’t matter what your zip code is, who your boss is, or what insurance plan you have – EVERYONE has the right to decide when, whether, how, and with whom to start a family. With your input and support we can continue to be the grassroots-led voice for reproductive freedom in Washington! I am ever grateful for your commitment to standing with us. In solidarity,

Advance voting justice in Washington State to ensure a pro-choice, progressive majority for years to come. Tiffany Hankins Executive Director

NARAL Pro-Choice Washington Staff

Executive Director Tiffany Hankins Political Director Elissa Goss Office Manager Leticia Ocampo Villomar Membership Development Director Curtis Maes Fundraising & Communications Coordinator Katherine Humphreys Statewide Field Organizer Lillian Lanier Canvass Director Maddie Fox Development Assistant Madison Grossan Membership Representatives Val Lavizzo Pamala Starliper Simmjaze Sayles Deb Pryor

Board of Directors

Charlie Browne, MD Anabelle Burgett Ryan Casey* Lauren Craig* Karen Franklin* Betsy Gillaspy* Erin Haick ^ Yolanda Ho* Montana James* Anuj Khattar, MD* Vivian Lee* Andres Mantilla* Catherine Minch Alana Morris*^ Amie Newman* Deb Oyer, MD* Cecilia Sorci*



^ also a PAC Member



* also a Foundation Board Member

Political Action Committee Sidney Chun Sara Develle Susan Landon Catherine Minch Lisa Nikodem Alexis Oliver Katy Ozog Morgan Steele Eleanor Trenary Lauren Vlas Trevor Willett

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2017 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE Twelve Months of Birth Control (HB 1234)(PASSED) For many women, especially those who live in rural areas, having to go to the drugstore every month is a significant barrier to birth control access. HB 1234 is common sense legislation ensuring that individuals can get 12 months of birth control in one visit. This bill passed with strong bipartisan support! Rep. June Robinson (D-38) was a stalwart champion on this issue. Pregnancy Accommodations (SB 5835) (PASSED) Reproductive freedom means no woman should have to choose between a healthy pregnancy and a paycheck. This bill was sponsored by Sen. Karen Keiser (D-33) and, in the house by Rep. Jessyn Farrell (D-46). Unfortunately this legislation falls short. By exempting businesses with fewer than 15 employees—a departure from all other state anti-discrimination law, which applies to employers with 8 workers or more—SB 5835 creates two classes of workers. Full Birth Control Coverage (HB 1523 and SB 5602) By requiring health plans to provide birth control with no cost-sharing, this bill would have ensured protection and access when the Trump administration restricts reproductive health care. HB 1523 passed the House and received a hearing in the Senate, but failed to be make it of the Senate Health Committee. We would also like to recognize Senator Kevin Ranker (D-40) for introducing SB 5760 that would declare that it is an unfair practice for any employer who provides health insurance to its employees to deny contraceptive coverage as part of that benefit package, or to discriminate against any employee based on that employee's use of any reproductive health care service, drug, or device. Unfortunately this bill failed to move out of committee. Thanks to all of our members' vigilant action, we successfully pushed back against Parental Notification for Abortion (SB 5320 and HB 1003), legislation from right-wing extremist Sen. Mike Padden (R-4) and Matt Shea (R-4) that would have required young people to obtain parental notification for abortions. Most young people seeking abortion services do involve their parents in that decision, and those who don’t have legitimate reasons for choosing not to do so.

ELECTORAL UPDATE NARAL helped take back the Senate with a pro-choice majority. This is huge. Major reproductive rights legislation has been blocked since 2012 and we now have the opportunity to pass legislation that will protect and expand access to abortion care and birth control. We are ready to go to bat and protect critical care and access this legislative session. This is a victory for Washingtonians across the state, as we congratulate Manka Dhingra on her election to be the next state senator for the 45th.

We have made our values clear: Trump-style, anti-choice politics have no place in our state. That’s why NARAL members turned out in huge numbers to knock doors, make phone calls, and talk with their neighbors about how critical this election is to families across the state; we made 11,000 contacts! Thank you! NARAL will continue mobilizing the pro-choice majority in Washington State in critical swing districts and we look forward to adding more prochoice members to the State Senate and House in 2018​.

We also did a robust statewide endorsement sweep in municipal elections securing over 47 prochoice city and county council officials into office. We know local governments are on the front lines protecting access and affordability and we look forward to working with our partners at every level of government in the coming year. In particular we would like to note Kate Burke on Spokane City Council, Victoria Woodards as Mayor of Tacoma, and Clark Gilman for Olympia City Council. - Elissa Goss Political Director

NOTES FROM THE FIELD This fall, we hosted more than 16 weekly volunteer phone banks and canvasses leading up to the election. Our volunteers rose to the challenge, huddling together on weekday evenings to make calls and waking up early on Saturday morning to knock on doors. It is because of their hard work and determination that NARAL was able to reach over 11,000 voters in the 45th district, underlining the importance of reproductive freedom in this state Senate election! We were joined by many first-time canvassers in addition to those who had been knocking doors for years contacting all types of voters - young voters, longtime voters, and pro-choice supporters - to uplift pro-choice champion Manka Dhingra and expose the anti-choice views of her opponent. We were met with overwhelming support at the doors, and frequently thanked for coming out to reinforce the importance of choice in this election! Despite a few rainy Saturdays, our volunteers were undeterred, and ended up filling 92 shifts to come out and contact voters. Thank you to all who joined us; our members are our power! - Lillian Lanier Statewide Field Manager

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SUPPORT YOUR

PRO-CHOICE VALUES! Lobby Day

January 18th, 2018

Lobby Day is our opportunity to come together in Olympia to lobby our legislators directly! It is critical we keeping Washington state moving in the right direction. We hope to see you there. For more information contact [email protected]

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2017 Day of Action in Olympia brought together over 200 individuals to speak directly with legislators!

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