|
June 28, 2022
Dear Sharon,
What a devastating week.
Did you read the decision in Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization from the Supreme Court? If you can't stomach it, I understand. Alito's words, and the Thomas concurrence, make it clear that this court has extreme contempt for women's rights organizations and abortion providers. Language throughout disregards the hopes and dreams of women, and their right to bodily autonomy in favor of "potential life." It reads like it was written by the elite legal arm of Operation Rescue. It's worse than you imagine, or than any TV analysts can reasonably convey. I tried to do my best on MSNBC this weekend:
|  | |
It's not just the hostile tone in the opinion, or the barbaric nature of allowing bans with no exception for rape, incest, or the health and life of a pregnant woman- from the very moment of fertilization. It's the foundation the legal thinking is laying. The majority opinion is clearly laying a foundation for a future where "innocent potential life" could be fully protected under the Constitution-- ie, personhood for zygotes. I don't want to be alarmist, but I do believe that is the ultimate goal of the extremists who stacked the Court with their handpicked nominees. And if that's what the Court decides to do, no state is safe.
I have been working closely with the White House and national reproductive health advocates in anticipation of this day. Last week, I met with Vice President Kamala Harris and other blue state leaders to discuss what states like Maryland should do in this new world.
| |
|
There are things we can do to mitigate the risk posed by this activist Court:
- Pass Speaker Adrienne Jones' Reproductive Liberty Amendment to the Maryland Constitution. I was proud to serve as floor leader for this bill when it passed the House this session. Thankfully, Senate President Bill Ferguson has announced he will prioritize this bill next session.
- We must elect a Pro-Choice Governor and Attorney General to ensure our state government is consistently protecting providers and patients at the agency level. I have endorsed Katie O'Malley for Attorney General.
- Protect and expand access to medication abortion through FDA action. We are expecting more announcements today from the US Secretary of Health on what federal agencies can do.
- Increase our US Senate majority and pass federal legislation on abortion rights.
-
CRITICAL: we must ensure the Maryland Senate has a pro-choice super-majority. The Maryland House has healthy pro-choice margins, but the Senate DOES NOT. There are at least two anti-Choice Democratic Senators in Maryland right now, and after the July 19 primary elections, we could have as many as four anti-choice Democrats from outside of Montgomery County (and ZERO pro-choice Republican). Primaries matter. Everyone running in the Democratic Primaries in MoCo is pro-choice, but that's not the case across the state. Special thanks to my D16 colleague Delegate Sara Love for mobilizing pro-choice campaign fellows to support pro-choice candidates in the primaries.
- We must pass legislation to protect abortion patients and providers, financially invest in abortion care, as well as continue to model innovative ways to expand access to reproductive healthcare and education. Maryland should continue to be a model for the nation.
| |
 | |
As noted in the NBC4 story above, on Friday, my landmark bill, The Abortion Care Access Act, will go into effect. With 26 states banning or severely restricting abortion as we speak, and and more than 200 clinics across the country closed or closing (mostly in the South and Midwest), Maryland is preparing for an influx of patients as the only "safe" state in the south east of the United States.
The Abortion Care Access Act means Maryland will:
- Allow trained Advance Practice Clinicians (Nurse Practitioners, Nurse Midwives, and Physician Assistants) to provide abortion care- increasing the number of providers, and the geographic and racial/ethnic diversity of providers.
- Require private insurance cover abortion services because abortion is health care.
- Require Medicaid cover abortion services, because low-income patients deserve equal access to all reproductive options.
- Ensure no cost-sharing, co-pays or deductibles for abortion care (just like other preventative services!), ensuring timely and equitable access to care.
- In July 2023 Maryland's first in the nation abortion care provider clinical training program will begin. An annual $3.5 million training program will ensure health care providers who want to provide abortion care will be properly trained to do so.
| |
Governor Hogan has refused to release funds for the training portion of the bill in 2022 - even though two-thirds of Maryland counties have NO abortion providers! My office has heard from providers across the state interested in training right away. I spoke to WUSA9 at the pro-choice rally in Wheaton on this topic. | |
|
|
In May, I wrote this letter to Governor Hogan urging him to release these funds with support from 85 of my legislative colleagues. The Governor continues to refuse to release the funding on time -- if unused this year the funding be held over for next year’s budget, so in Jan 2023 (if we elect a pro-choice Governor) we will have $7 million for training.
The Abortion Care Access Act is serving as a national model and I am working with other states across the country to replicate its provisions. You can see my Washington Post Op-ed, a story from NBC4 above, coverage on WMAR and WTOP, and articles in Bethesda Beat and The New York Times about this work.
| | |
|
Join me Wednesday at 5PM to discuss a post Dobbs Maryland
| | |
Last week's decision in the New York Bruen gun case was another gut punch from the "Trump Supreme Court"- and a reminder that gun rights matter more than women's rights to this Court. Maryland's Speaker and Senate President have already announced plans to pass legislation to update our law if necessary to comply with this backward-thinking decision. We are committed to protecting Marylanders from the dangerous proliferation of guns in society. I am honored to have received the 2022 Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate Distinction and am extremely grateful for the leadership of D16's Senator Susan Lee on gun safety. | |
|
Councilmember Friedson Leading the Way on Parents in the Workforce
I was thrilled to join Councilmember Andrew Friedson in support of his legislation to help county government employees with children. Read more here about the County Employees Parental Leave Act and the Right to Nourish Act. Passage of these bills, which have been co-sponsored by the entire council will send a strong message to parents that the County is a family friendly employer. State Department of Labor data indicates women are still not back to pre-COVID employment levels.
| |  |
Delegate Ariana Kelly Awarded MD Hospital Association 2022 Legislator of the Year!
I was honored to receive this award for my ongoing work to address the healthcare workforce crisis. A commission established by my legislation (HB 625) will hold it’s first meeting this week and has an ambitious task ahead to study the healthcare workforce across the state, across specialties and to examine the pipeline and needs for the future, including ways to create career ladders and training opportunities .
| | |
Vaccines Update
I was honored to be invited to Atlanta last week to visit the Centers for Disease Control with other state legislative leaders from across the country. I gave a presentation on my work to ensure we address the COVID impact of missed routine childhood vaccinations. We also discussed strategies for de-bunking vaccine misinformation.
| |
|
It's Election Season!
As I’m sure you’ve noticed from the campaign mailings filling up your mailbox and the candidate yard signs across D16, it's an election year! The primary election is July 19 and I would greatly appreciate your vote.
Here are the steps to take to vote and the important dates you need to know:
-
Check your registration - is your address up to date? You can check here and make updates by June 28. (TODAY!)
-
Want to vote by mail? Apply for a mail in ballot here by July 12 and post your ballot by 8 pm on July 19 at one of these locations.
-
Can you volunteer? Election judges and poll workers are needed or you can hand out literature for your amazing D16 team (Email us!)
-
Early voting starts July 7 and runs through July 14 from 7 am until 8 pm. You can vote at any early voting location in the county. Those closest to District 16 are at the Jane Lawton Community Center in Chevy Chase near downtown Bethesda and the Potomac Community Center.
| | | |
|
Supporting Colleagues Across the State
Legislating is a team sport, and it's so important to have leaders across the state who share our values and fight for what's right in Annapolis. I was honored to support Delegate Emily Shetty at her event last week. Emily represents District 18 (Kensington, Chevy Chase, Wheaton). It was a joy to tell her constituents about the critical role Emily played in passing the Abortion Access bill--- she helped me practice for the floor debate, and sat next to me on the floor as my "wing woman" as we defeated 11 anti-abortion amendments.
This week I will be speaking at a Reproductive Rights Town Hall Delegate Heather Bagnall from Anne Arundel County. Heather is a champion for mental health and youth health care, and she works right here in D16 engaging students in the arts. She's my spirit sister, but her legislative district is a "purple" one, so it is even more essential we have her back in Annapolis! RSVP for Zoom information here - http://ow.ly/CoWy50JC4Jc
| |
|
In the Community
I was honored to give the Keynote Address at the Maryland Chapter of the National Organization for Women conference, and at the Business and Professional Women of Maryland conference. Now more than ever, organizations fighting for women's rights need our support. I was also pleased to join Delegate Marc Korman at the Candidate Forum at Temple Beth Ami to discuss a wide range of issues important to the Jewish Community.
| |
|
On a personal note, like many of you, in June we celebrated graduations in our family. My daughter, Maeve, graduated from my alma mater Walter Johnson High School. My stepdaughter Jordyn graduated from College Park's Merrill College of Journalism, and my stepson Dylan graduated from Wootton. Plus, Leo, my son (who is now taller than me!) graduated from 8th grade at North Bethesda!
I'm always thankful for our public school teachers, staff, and administrators. But this year I especially want to thank them for all they do.
| |
|
|
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT
It was so fun to see so many of you at my Spring Fling fundraiser. If you couldn't make it, t's not too late to donate to my re-election campaign. I truly appreciate your support!
| | | |
Please Follow Ariana on Social Media! | | | | |
