Last week, Republican Delegate Kathy Byron proposed a constitutional amendment that would ban abortion for low income people. Byron believes that politicians have the right to deny a woman access to healthcare just because she’s poor. Byron’s amendment, HJ715, would do just that–-make abortion only available to those with means while cutting off low-income women from the right to decide when and how to start a family.

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We can count on Governor Northam to veto anti-family legislation, but the Governor has no veto over a constitutional amendment. Instead, we need to come together as citizens to demand our legislators block this ban and protect access to abortion for everyone.

Everyone should be able to make their own decisions about their families.

We believe that everyone, regardless of income, skin color, zip code, immigration status, or gender identity, should be able to make decisions about how and when to start their families. But this bill makes it so that if a person has a certain kind of insurance, they will have to pay for abortion out of pocket.

The average abortion costs a whopping $470, more than most people can afford out of pocket. You can’t make decisions about your future and your family if you don’t have access to the the health care services you need. This constitutional amendment creates a two-tiered system where rich people can make decisions about their bodies, but low income people can’t.  

Politicians have no business inserting themselves in decisions that should be between a woman, her family, and her doctor.

When people are making decisions about whether or not to start a family, the last thing they need is politicians getting involved. Those decisions should be between a woman, her family, and her doctor. This constitutional amendment would insert politicians into an already difficult process by essentially eliminating abortion as an option for certain people, depending on their income and insurance. That’s unacceptable. Everyone should be able to access the health care they need when they need it, regardless of how much money they have.

Reproductive healthcare is for everyone, not just the wealthy few.

Reproductive healthcare, and especially abortion, is not a luxury for the rich. Abortion is necessary health care that everyone should have access to because you never know when you will need it. HJ715 is attempt to restrict access to abortion by anti-family politicians, and they are making it clear that they only trust certain kinds of people (read: rich people) to make decisions for themselves. We trust all women, regardless of how much money is in their bank account, to make decisions about their bodies and their futures. This constitutional amendment has got to go.

Call your representatives and demand they oppose this amendment.

All people, not just some people, should have the ability to make decisions for themselves. When it comes to decisions as fundamental as how and when to start a family, that’s even more important.  We can’t have a system where some people can access abortion and others can’t, so we have to work together and make sure it doesn’t pass. Remember, Governor Northam doesn’t have the ability to veto a constitutional amendment, so your action is the only thing that can stop this.

That’s why it is so important that you take action right now and call your representatives to demand that they stand up for reproductive health access for everyone by voting against this amendment. Text “ACT NOW” to 30644 so you can be connected to your Delegate and tell them that they should vote against HJ715.