Meeting Dates
Our Team meets via Zoom, on the third Wednesday of every month, at 8 PM
2021 Meeting Dates:
April 21
May 19
June 16
July 21
August 18
September 15
October 20
November 17
December 15
To attend our meetings on Zoom:
From your PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android,
click this link:
Or by phone:
1-408.638.0968 or
646.558.8656
Meeting ID – 713-234-7624
Team Mission
The Reproductive Justice Team supports and advocates for legislation thatgives people the right to have or not to have children, improves maternal and child health, provides for safe and healthy environments in which to raise children, and supports the rights of individuals to express their sexuality without fear of oppression.
Upcoming Events
CLICK HERE
to link to our Calendar!
Our Priorities
Recognizing that Reproductive Justice encompasses more than reproductive rights (e.g. expanding and protecting legal access to birth control and abortion) and intersects with social, political and economic inequalities that affect primarily women’s reproductive health and ability to control their reproductive lives, we support and advocate for legislation and action that:
- Protects an individual’s right to obtain birth control and abortion and seeks to make both easily accessible and affordable for all
- Seeks to address reproductive inequities among members of marginalized communities including racial, ethnic, and religious minorities, LGBTQ+ individuals, incarcerated persons, and those living in poverty
- Ends pregnancy discrimination
- Bolsters breastfeeding rights
- Reduces maternal and infant mortality rates
- Implements menstrual equity*
- Empowers individuals with evidence-based sex education
- Provides for a living wage
- Offers paid family leave to biological, adoptive, and foster parents
(*”Menstrual equity” includes but is not limited to these issues: advocating for menstrual products that are affordable, accessible, and safe; ending the shame and stigma surrounding periods and menstruation, which has prevented decision-makers, healthcare providers, educators and individuals from ensuring that menstrual health is a priority; and ensuring that people have the needs, support, and choices to decide how they want to take care of their menstrual health.)
Partner Links
NARAL Pro-Choice America
Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood SE PA
Pennsylvania Religious Coalition for
Reproductive Justice
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Women’s Law Project
Family Care Act Coalition
PA Campaign for Women’s Health
Women’s Medical Fund
Center for Reproductive Rights
Women and Girls Foundation
PA Coalition for Sex Education
Moms Rising
Bucks County Women’s Advocacy Coalition
National Partnership for Women and Families
Action Alerts & Updates
One of the most important ways to advance reproductive justice is to contact your legislators! Here is a list of the members of the PA House Health Committee for the 2021-2022 Legislative Session .
We encourage you to contact your representatives and express your views on the issues.
REPUBLICANS:
- Kathy Rapp Chair
- Tim Bonner Subcommittee Chair on Health Facilities
- Paul Schemel Subcommittee Chair on Health Care
- Dawn Keefer Secretary
- Johnathan Hershey
- David H. Zimmerman
- Tim Twardzik
- Bradley Roae
- Clint Owlett
- Andrew Lewis
- Kate Klunk
- Jim Cox
- Valerie Gaydos
- Stephanie Borowicz
- Aaron Bernstine
DEMOCRATS:
- Dan Frankel Democratic Chair
- Jason Dawkins
- Jessica Benham
- Elizabeth Fiedler
- Morgan Cephas
- Ben Sanchez
- Summer Lee
- Rick Krajewski
- Bridget Malloy Kosierowski
- Stephen Kinsey
Resources
- Two things every UU should know about Reproductive Justice (PDF)
- Guttmacher Institute
- UUA Reproductive Justice resources
- ACLU Women’s Rights Project
- Race Class Narrative Action
(how to write effectively to change people’s minds and convince them of a certain position that promotes fairness and equal rights) -
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Personal stories about abortions and other reproductive health care:
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https://www.advocatesforyouth.org/abortion-out-loud/abortion-out-loud-abortion-storytelling/
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https://www.plannedparenthood.org/get-involved/share-your-story
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https://www.thewomenscenters.com/patient-stories/
Addressing period poverty:
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https://www.shapeofjustice.org/
More About Our Team
We ask our team members to each be responsible for following one or two organizations and legislative bills, and report on them at each of our monthly
meetings, which are held the third Wednesday of each month at 8 PM. We hope to have a few speakers during the year at our meetings. We invite other
UUJusticePA teams to contact us if an issue arises on which we can lend a helping hand. We will ask our fellow teams for aid in support of our issues if
needed. We also educate our personal UU congregations on reproductive justice issues in Pennsylvania.
Legislative Goals
Pass
- SB 12: “Comprehensive Modernization of the Minimum Wage”
- SB 138: “Dignity and Safety for Incarcerated Women”
- SB 138 Dignity and Safety for Incarcerated Women – Referred to Judiciary, Jan. 28, 2021 https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2021&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=138
- SB 353 Access to Contraceptives for Women – Referred to Banking and Insurance, March 10, 2021 https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2021&sInd=0&body=s&type=b&bn=353
- HB 1173 Medicaid Expansion for Postpartum Care, referred to Health Committee, April 14, 2021 https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2021&sInd=0&body=h&type=b&bn=1173
- HB 1174 Fighting Maternal Morbidity and Mortality, referred to Health Committee, April 14, 2021 https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2021&sInd=0&body=h&type=b&bn=1174
- HB 1175 Addressing Maternal Mortality: Medicaid Coverage for Doulas, referred to Health Committee, April 14, 2021 https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2021&sInd=0&body=h&type=b&bn=1175
- HB 1176 Resolving Implicit Bias in Healthcare, referred to Health Committee, April 14, 2021 https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2021&sInd=0&body=h&type=b&bn=1176
- HB 1355 Sexuality Education and Affirmative Consent – Referred to Education, May 5, 2021 https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2021&sInd=0&body=h&type=b&bn=1335
- SB 580 – Establishing the Family Care Act – Referred to Labor and Industry, May 3, 2021 https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2021&sInd=0&body=s&type=b&bn=580
- HB 1200 – The Family Care Act – Referred to Labor and Industry, May 10, 2021 https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2021&sInd=0&body=h&type=b&bn=1200
Legislative Goals
Defeat
- HB 118: “Disposition of Fetal Remains Act”
- SB 21: “Down Syndrome Protection” legislation
- HB 46: Preempts local governments from setting labor policies
- HB 38: Advocates for constitution amendment to allow for judicial gerrymandering
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HB 1500, Down Syndrome Protection – referred to Health Comm, May 19, 2021
In the News
Check back soon for the latest updates!
