With Many Basic Needs Still Unmet,
Mississippi Senate Focuses on Criminalizing Abortion

Bill is Ultimate Illustration of Misplaced Priorities

HATTIESBURG, MS—Planned Parenthood of Alabama, Inc., today denounced extremist Mississippi State Senators who are jeopardizing the health and safety of women with their attempt to criminalize abortion.  With Mississippians continuing to face many unmet needs over a year after Hurricane Katrina, the legislature’s focus on restricting abortion access is the ultimate illustration of misplaced priorities.  

Felicia Brown Williams, Vice President of Public Affairs for Planned Parenthood of Alabama, issued the following statement about the ban: 

“Elected officials should stop playing politics with women’s safety and start paying attention to the needs of this state.  We need homes, good education, and sound health care policy.  We need to focus on rebuilding after Katrina. We don’t need laws that threaten women’s health. 

The ban, Mississippi Senate bill 2795, passed in a vote on the Senate floor today.  If passed in the Mississippi House as well, the ban would go into effect July 1, 2007.  

In his State of the Union address, President Bush stated that health care decisions are best made by patients and their doctors.  We could not agree more.  Private, personal decisions about health care should be made by women, their families, and their doctors - not by politicians.  In 2006, voters sent a clear message: they want politicians to stay out of private, moral medical decisions.   

If lawmakers are truly concerned about preventing unintended pregnancy and the need for abortion in Mississippi they should work with Planned Parenthood on prevention by increasing access to birth control and medically accurate sex education.”

 Planned Parenthood's National Lobby Day

Please join Planned Parenthood for LOBBY DAY, on Tuesday, February 13, 2007.  If you are available on the 13th and would like to participate, please contact Felicia Brown Williams for more details.