NARAL Pro-Choice Washington

Last Chance to Save Family Planning: Act Now!

The State Senate budget proposes cutting $1 million - 10% of the total program - from family planning. The House budget is even worse. It would cut 10% in the first year, and then COMPLETELY ELIMINATE state spending on family planning in the second year of the 2-year budget.

The House version of the budget is a dangerous and unacceptable gamble on women's health and the financial health of the state. It would result in upwards of 20,000 low-income women unable to access their family planning needs and as much as $19 million in additional unintended pregnancy care fees that would fall to the state to pay.

We cannot afford this drastic cut! Use the form below to email your legislators and urge them to tell budget leaders to reject the House family planning budget proposal and to include at least $9 million for family planning in the final version of the budget. Please edit the letter to make it more personal.

May 19, 2013

Subject:

Dear Legislator,

I am writing to urge you to keep family planning funding intact. Tell budget leaders you want at least $9 million for family planning programs, as the Senate proposed, in the final version of the budget. With local clinics closing, and more and more women in need of assistance to access their reproductive health care needs, we simply cannot afford any further reductions in family planning funding. The House budget proposes completely eliminating state family planning funding in the second year of the biennium, with the hope that funds will come from the federal government. This is a gamble we simply cannot afford. While there is no guarantee that this money will ever arrive, we do know that by eliminating the program, upwards of 20,000 low-income women will be without birth control and other family planning care, resulting in as much as $19 million in additional unintended pregnancy care costs that the state will have to pay. For the sake of women’s health and for the state’s bottom line, please do the right thing and retain at least $9 million for family planning. Tell budget leaders we need to preserve family planning in our state. Thank you,
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