Advocates' Blog
Utah legislature withdraws "criminal miscarriage" bill Print

The Utah state legislature withdrew H.B. 12, the bill that would prosecute women for illegal abortions and some miscarriages.

And it happened because of you!

Last week, through Amplify, we asked for your help in calling national attention to this dangerous piece of legislation. Your efforts focused public pressure on this bill and forced Utah politicians to back down under national scrutiny.

This story would not have received national attention without your hard work, and I wanted to thank you personally for your help.

Over the past 10 days, you proved the true power of grassroots activism and online organizing. Thousands of Amplify readers and their friends posted this story to Facebook, starting conversations all across the country. Thousands more sent it out over Twitter. The details of Utah's attack on women's rights started to build momentum on some of the most influential blogs, from DailyKos to the Huffington Post, leading to coverage in the New York Times and by ABC news.

Because of this media firestorm, Utah Governor Gary Herbert expressed reservations about some of the bill's more extreme provisions. And yesterday, the state legislature withdrew the bill!

We know that legislative attacks on reproductive health and women's rights will continue, in Utah and elsewhere in the United States. But, this week you forced politicians to answer for some of the most potentially dangerous provisions in H.B. 12 - and you won.

Together, we will continue to work to ensure that all people - everywhere - have have access to the information and services they need to protect their health an lives.

 
AMPLIFYYOUR VOICE.ORG
a youth-driven community working for change
AMBIENTEJOVEN.ORG
Apoyo para Jóvenes GLBTQ
for Spanish-speaking GLBTQ youth
MYSISTAHS.ORG
by and for young women of color
MORNINGAFTERINFO.ORG
information on emergency birth control for South Carolina residents
YOUTHRESOURCE.ORG
by and for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth
2000 M Street NW, Suite 750  |  Washington, DC 20036  |  P: 202.419.3420  |  F: 202.419.1448
COPYRIGHT © 2008 Advocates for Youth. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED  |  Contact Us   |  Donate   |  Terms of Use   |  Search