Planned Parenthood Advocates of Indiana

We now turn our attention to the upcoming Indiana General Assembly session. Check here for updates as legislation is filed.

Planned Parenthood of Indiana (PPIN) has announced that Mary Spears of Indianapolis is the recipient of the health care organization's 2010 Margaret A. Sanger Award.

The Margaret A. Sanger Award, which was presented to Spears during PPIN's Annual Meeting and Voices for Choice Awards Ceremony in Indianapolis, recognizes an individual or organization that has made a significant contribution to the agency by addressing an issue of importance to its mission, thus enabling PPIN to carry out its mission in the community.

Spears is an attorney with Gilroy Kammen Hertzel & Moudy who uses her time and her talent to advocate for young women who have no one else to speak for them. Since 2009, Spears has helped young women in need of legal representation so they can access abortion services. She stepped forward to lead what now has become a small, but passionate, network of attorneys who help minors navigate the court system so they can be granted waivers to bypass Indiana's parental consent law.

"Quietly and diligently, Mary has provided a system of support to young women who often had no where else to turn," said PPIN President and CEO Betty Cockrum. "Her leadership and genuine spirit of service have paved the way for many other attorneys to get involved. In fact, her commitment to our mission and the many women she has served have inspired a network of attorneys to volunteer.

"Thank you, Mary, on behalf of the women you have served and for your personal dedication," Cockrum added.

Margaret A. Sanger was one of the earliest advocates for women's reproductive rights. She opened the first legal birth control clinic in 1923, and from 1952 to 1959 she served as president of the International Planned Parenthood Federation.

Spears was one of a group of Hoosiers recognized by PPIN during the annual meeting. Following are the additional award winners:

Access to affordable, quality reproductive health care is currently under attack and this time lawmakers are targeting our patients. State Senator Greg Walker has announced his intentions to file a bill prohibiting state government from entering into contract with Planned Parenthood of Indiana (PPIN).

We need you to help stop this and other defunding attempts! PPIN has begun a campaign to protect its patients. Thousands of Hoosiers in need of affordable reproductive health care would be directly impacted if defunding attempts were to succeed. Sign our petition and invite your friends to join the fight to protect the vital health care and education services PPIN provides to the community!

Help Move Your Friends
And Family To The Polls Nov. 2 To
Protect Women's Health Care.

Issues you care about, like funding for Planned Parenthood and the private communication
between a woman and her doctor, are at risk! Help elect legislators on Nov. 2 who care about
your issues and who care about Planned Parenthood.

Vote on Nov. 2. And bring a friend!
If you can't make it to the polls, vote absentee.

The General Election is Nov. 2, 2010.
Please don't forget to vote. It has been projected that many of the voters that registered for the first time in 2008, and who helped Indiana turn blue, will not likely vote in the 2010 elections. Let's prove them wrong! Encourage your family and friends to go to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010!

Who should you vote for?
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Indiana has not officially endorsed any candidates at this time. To learn more about the incumbents in your area, please visit VoteSmart.

Indiana is utilizing all sorts of tactics to simply balance the state budget. So why didn't the administration pursue funding that would have totaled, at a minimum, a million dollars for comprehensive sexual education through 2014?

No one knows for sure. But what we're certain of is that Indiana chose not to apply for funding through the federal Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP), and as a result we'll have fewer dollars in Indiana to pay for programs that have been proven to help young people make healthy decisions. PREP would have provided grants for comprehensive sex education that teaches young people complete, medically-accurate, age-appropriate, and evidence-based sex education – the kind of education they need to help them avoid unintended pregnancies, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

It's a tragedy that Indiana left this money on the table. With an average of 31 Indiana teenagers getting pregnant every day, we can only hope the administration is better able to see the big picture in the future.

This kind of decision-making offers another reminder that we need to make our voices heard by voting this Nov. 4.

Health Care Reform has been signed by President Obama and across the nation implementation is underway. Here in Indiana, however, there's no guarantee that Hoosiers will ever benefit from this historic legislation. Health care reform opponents are campaigning vigorously for Indiana to opt out entirely, and short of that, to opt out of the totally separate and distinct abortion coverage – the new law provides that Americans should be able to use their own money to purchase coverage within state health care exchanges.

Let's be clear. No taxpayer dollars would go toward abortion in the state health care exchanges. Nonetheless, those opposed to abortion have begun their campaign of misinformation to try to mislead Hoosiers and generate opposition to the provisions.

Planned Parenthood is reaching out to other groups in Indiana to ensure that the nearly 750,000 uninsured Hoosiers can access affordable health care.

The Primary Election is May 4, 2010.
Please don't forget to vote. The primary is often overlooked and it has been projected that many of the voters that registered for the first time in 2008, and who helped Indiana turn blue, will not likely vote in the 2010 elections. Let's prove them wrong! Encourage your family and friends to go to the polls on Tuesday, May 4, 2010!

Still wondering why you should vote in the primary?
By voting in the primary, you decide who gets to be on the ballot for the General Election (Nov. 2, 2010). Primary elections are held so that each party can put forth their strongest candidates for the November elections, and in some areas, primaries are the only elections where there are contested races. In some areas with an elected school board or a public question on the ballot, this may be the only time when your voice will be heard. Make it count with your vote!

In the primary you can only vote for candidates on either the Democratic or Republican ticket (voting on one ticket is not a permanent choice and can change the next time you vote). Either way, your vote helps in narrowing the choice of who gets to run for office in the fall.

What should you do after you vote?
Get ready for the General Election on November 2, 2010 by registering others to vote before October 4, 2010. It's easy!

Who should you vote for?
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Indiana has not officially endorsed any candidates at this time. To learn more about the incumbents in your area, please visit VoteSmart.

Why vote in the Primary Election?
By voting in the primary election you decide who gets to be on the ballot for the general election (Nov. 2, 2010). Primary elections are held so that each party can put forward their strongest candidates, and in some areas, primaries are the only elections where there are contested races. In some areas with an elected school board or a public question on the ballot, this may be the only time when your voice will be heard. Make it count with your vote!

In order to vote in the Primary Election you will need to register to vote prior to April 5, 2010.
So, if you are not registered or need to change your address:

The health care bill vote in the U.S. House was extremely close, but the measure did pass. When it mattered most, Democratic Indiana delegates voted for health care reform and the House at long last passed the Senate health care reform bill, as well as the reconciliation bill. President Obama put his signature on the health care reform bill, and the reconciliation bill will now go to the U.S. Senate.

The final health care reform bill will extend coverage to tens of millions of women and families, guarantee women access to affordable life-saving screenings for cervical and breast cancer, protect women against gender discrimination by private insurers, end the practice of dropping coverage because of pre-existing conditions, and significantly increase insurance coverage of reproductive health care, including family planning.

The Stupak abortion ban, which would have put a total ban on private health insurance coverage for abortion, was not in the final legislation. However, an Executive Order did include the Nelson amendment, which will impose new and severe restrictions on private health insurance coverage for abortion for millions of women.

No doubt we will have to beat back more attacks on women's health as the Senate considers the reconciliation bill. We'll keep you posted as things progress.

The Indiana General Assembly has wrapped up its 2010 legislative session and we are very pleased to report that Planned Parenthood of Indiana (PPIN) and women's reproductive health remained relatively unscathed thanks, in part, to the hard work and dedication of our staff and supporters. We are very grateful for all of the time and energy our supporters have invested in fighting off harmful pieces of legislation and are happy that our efforts have been rewarded.

Please visit our 2010 legislative page by highlighting the issues tab to the left and clicking on "Indiana Legislation". There you will find a complete list of all of the bills we tracked and the last action taken.

Don't forget, 2010 is an election year! Now that the 2010 legislative session has ended, PPAI will shift gears and prepare for the upcoming election. Be sure you are registered to vote!

The U.S. House is expected to vote on health care reform before the end of March. Assuming the package passes the House, the bill will go to the Senate where it is likely to be considered before Congress adjourns for a two week recess.

We are waiting patiently and hopefully for progress and will update you with information as it becomes available.

The 2010 Indiana General Assembly session is winding down. Both the Senate and the House are working efficiently and remain committed to an on-time dismissal. As we enter the home stretch, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Indiana (PPAI) will continue to monitor all of the action on the remaining bills and will update you on pertinent issues as they happen.

Please visit our 2010 legislative page by highlighting the issues tab to the left and clicking on "Indiana Legislation". There you will find a complete list of all of the bills we are tracking and the most recent action taken. Most of the bills we have been tracking from the beginning of the session have died, but PPAI is paying close attention for any possible amendments to the surviving bills.

We anticipate the end of session to come as scheduled – Sine Die by March 14, but perhaps sooner. In the interim, we will be sending out periodic updates as important bills make their way to the Governor's desk. Stay informed! Sign-up for our e-mail updates.

The U.S. Congress is at a stand-still on health care reform. President Obama is still hopeful that the House and the Senate can come together and agree on the most critical parts of this legislation, despite the recent shift in the Senate following the pivotal Massachusetts Senate election.

We are waiting patiently and hopefully for progress and will update you with information as it becomes available.

The U.S. Senate has approved an amendment authored by Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland) that would expand women's preventive health care, allowing the government to require insurers to cover preventive care and screens at little or no cost to patients. This was the first amendment to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to pass in the Senate.

The Senate has also rejected an amendment to the health care reform bill that would place restrictions on private insurance coverage for abortion procedures. Senators Ben Nelson (D-Nebraska) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) attempted to introduce Stupak-like language into the Senate version of the bill. In a 54-45 vote, the Senate tabled the amendment which successfully prevented further deliberation.

There are many more twists and turns yet to come so stay tuned. President Obama hopes the Senate is ready to vote on a final health care reform bill before the end of the year. Abortion language is expected to become an issue again once the Senate does pass its bill and merges its version with the bill the House passed last month.

We will continue to monitor the progress of health care reform in Washington, so please visit the Action Network to get the most current updates!

On the state level, the Indiana General Assembly is gearing-up for another session set to begin Tuesday, Jan. 5. Legislators have already begun filing bills which we will be tracking. We will need your help to ensure reproductive rights are protected in the state of Indiana, if you're interested in signing on to be a Capitol Activist, email us at advocates@ppin.org.