The New York State Bipartisan Pro-Choice Legislative Caucus is joining the first-ever Trust Women Week, an online mass mobilization for women’s lives and rights from Jan. 20-27. 

You can click here to "march" this unique online campaign with more than 70 organizations across the nation, including coordinating partner the Trust Women/Silver Ribbon Campaign. 

We're letting legislators know that reproductive health, reproductive justice and reproductive rights are at the top of our agenda, and should be at the top of theirs, too. Our messages will be packaged and delivered directly to members of Congress, governors and state legislators to underscore that Americans trust women to make their own decisions about their bodies and their lives.

Online participants can select one of six messages: “I trust women and I vote;” “Reproductive rights are human rights;” “Keep abortion safe and legal, and make it affordable and accessible;” “Stand up and be counted for reproductive justice;” “We are the 99%. Fix the economy, and stop the attacks on women's health;” "Contraception Is Prevention."  A real-time online map shows the location of the virtual marchers.

Trust Women Week overlaps the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade and reasserts our firm commitment to reclaiming the future of reproductive decision-making in 2012. You can click here to join the online march!

On Friday, January 20, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that all employers will be required to cover women’s preventive health services, including contraception. Most employers will have to include this coverage by August 2012, and the remaining employers must do so by August 2013.  This provision requires insurers to cover preventive services with no co-pay, co-insurance or deductibles.

On December 12, 2012, many members of the Bipartisan Pro-Choice Legislative Caucus wrote to President Barack Obama, urging him not to broaden the exemption of certain employers from covering for these services. The Caucus’ action was in concert with over 200,000 other comments from the public.

The Caucus’ work will continue, but we count this as an important victory in the continued effort to protect reproductive rights and women's health in this state and across the country.

Below is a link to the press release from the Department of Health and Human Services:

http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2012pres/01/20120120a.html

Advocates from around New York State joined Family Planning Advocates for their annual "Day of Action!" on Monday, January 9, 2012.

We were so delighted to see so many pro-choice Senators and Assemblymembers supporting this event and greeting the advocates in the Well of the Legislative Office Building, including Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Senate Democratic Leader John Sampson, Assemblymember Ellen Jaffee, Senator Gustavo Rivera, Senator Diane Savino, Assemblymember Kevin Cahill, Assemblymember Rory Lancman, Senator Liz Krueger, Senator Shirley L. Huntley, and Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, who spoke on behalf of the BPCLC, and gave a rousing speech that invigorated the energetic crowd!

The advocates were urging legislators to support the passage of the Reproductive Health Act (RHA), which is an act to support a woman's right to make their own personal health decisions about their reproductive health, including pregnancy, the right to choose or refuse contraception, and to have an abortion.