Press Release
NARAL Releases Statement on Anti-Choice Effort to Force Arizona Crisis Hotline to End Referrals to Abortion Providers
For Immediate Release: February 13, 2020
Contact: [email protected]
ARIZONA — In response to news that Republican lawmakers in Arizona have introduced legislation that would force Arizona’s crisis-response hotline to end referrals to abortion providers in order to receive state funding, NARAL Pro-Choice America Southwest Regional Director Caroline Mello Roberson issued the following statement:
“Anti-choice lawmakers in Arizona are playing politics with the lives of their constituents. It’s outrageous that anti-choice politicians are trying to hold hostage funding for the state crisis hotline in order to advance their extreme agenda to restrict reproductive freedom. These lawmakers couldn’t be more out-of-touch with the majority of Arizonans who support legal access to abortion. Arizonans deserve elected officials who support a woman’s ability to make her own decisions about pregnancy, free from political interference, not ideologues ready to jeopardize the health and safety of their constituents in effort to score political points.”
As part of its work to pass proactive legislation to safeguard reproductive freedom, defend against rollbacks of reproductive rights, and elect more pro-choice champions in state and federal elections, NARAL Pro-Choice America has identified Arizona as a priority for the 2020 election and has recently expanded organizing and electoral efforts in the state, including hiring on-the-ground staff led by Mello Roberson.
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NARAL Pro-Choice America and its network of state affiliates and chapters are dedicated to protecting and expanding reproductive freedom for all. For more than 50 years, NARAL has worked to guarantee that every woman has the right to make personal decisions regarding the full range of reproductive choices, including preventing unintended pregnancy, bearing healthy children, and choosing legal abortion. Since 1969, NARAL has made history, grown to over 2.5 million members, and met the moments that have defined this fight with action, power and freedom. In recognition of its work defending our constitutional right to choose, Fortune Magazine described NARAL as “one of the top 10 advocacy groups in America.”