Issue: Reproductive Rights -- HB241 - Parents' Bill of Rights

This bill would prevent young people from receiving the services they need, including wellness exams and reproductive health care. This would make our young people less healthy and less safe. 

The bill endorses parental actions that are clearly not good public health policy and are not in the interest of young people who need access to information about safe reproductive health practices including accurate information about HIV and STIs. 

The right to take responsibility for important decisions is a vital part of young people’s health. This is because developing responsibility for health care is part of building a healthy adulthood. The vast majority of young people exercise this responsibility in consultation with their parents. If young people cannot consent to their own health care or feel secure in that care being confidential, they may delay, forgo, or even be denied needed care by parents, guardians, or others.

Issue: Natural Resources -- HB59 - Growth Management

This bill would remove rights from local governments to determine in their comprehensive plans areas where certain types of development can occur within their counties.   It would give to property owners rights to do seemingly anything they want with their property, irrespective of zoning or other land use decisions in place within the County comprehensive plan.  

Owners of property, even if they were in an agreement regarding future use of a property, could transfer this property without ensuring that the new owners were prepared to abide by the previous agreement.  

This permits individuals/others to develop property without regard to adjacent individuals or neighborhoods, including those of underserved and marginalized communities. This can cause the loss of species habitat, increased flooding on adjacent properties, increased traffic and thereby air pollution, as well as other adverse impacts.