Resolve to Resist 2020

2020 is going to be one of the most important years we’ve ever seen for protecting and expanding access to sexual and reproductive healthcare, and Planned Parenthood is fired up and ready to fight. We’re going to reclaim our power and elect champions of reproductive healthcare up and down the ballot; we’re going to defeat attacks on abortion access; and we’re going to pass proactive legislation that will bring us closer to reproductive freedom for all. 

That’s a lot to get done, but I know we can do it with your help! Join us in the fight and become a Member of Planned Parenthood’s political arm today.  

Membership is completely free and allows us to send you updates in real time about what Planned Parenthood Votes! South Atlantic AND Planned Parenthood Action Fund are up to. This includes information about grassroots organizing, advocacy in our state legislatures, and endorsements and activity around elections. It also gives you the opportunity to join us at exciting events like our We Decide Presidential Candidate Forum and other members-only electoral events. And most importantly, membership keeps you up to date on volunteer opportunities in your area – because we know we can’t win without a powerful group of volunteers committed to reproductive rights and health for all. 

At Planned Parenthood, we will engage our grassroots volunteers to help elect pro-reproductive health candidates both at the state and national level. By becoming a Member, you can help us canvass, phonebank, work the polls on Election Day, and more in coordination with your favorite candidates so we can fill our legislatures and Congress with Planned Parenthood-approved legislators who will fight for all our rights.  

Want to know the best part of becoming a member? If you volunteer for candidates through Planned Parenthood – meaning you show up at their events in a pink Planned Parenthood t-shirt – you will double your volunteer impact. That’s right, double! Not only will you be volunteering for the candidates that you are passionate about, but you will be doing so through Planned Parenthood so that you can hold them accountable to protecting and expanding sexual and reproductive healthcare as well. By becoming a Member and volunteer, you will be volunteering for us AND them at the same time. We want a sea of pink to show up at our endorsed candidates’ campaign events to emphasize how important abortion access, birth control, cancer screenings, LGBTQ healthcare, and more are to our communities.  

We’re doing this work in all the states that Planned Parenthood Votes! South Atlantic serves, and each state is unique in what we’re facing. We know it’s a lot of work to do, but with your help we know it can get it done. 

North Carolina 

In North Carolina, we can break the anti-reproductive health majorities in the State House of Representatives and Senate and re-elect Governor Cooper, a champion of reproductive health. By gaining just six seats in the House and five in the Senate this election, we would have the numbers to defeat anti-abortion legislation during session, and pass bills that expand access to reproductive healthcare.  

Last year we faced a tough fight around an inflammatory bill that sought to criminalize doctors for providing care to patients in some of the most difficult times of their life. The so-called “born-alive” bill had no basis in fact and solely sought to demonize safe, legal abortion. That bill passed out of the legislature and made it to Governor Cooper’s desk. He vetoed the bill and the legislature couldn’t override that veto, killing this dangerous bill. 

That’s a huge victory! And it was only made possible by tireless work by members and volunteers to elect champions of abortion rights to the legislature and Governor’s office. This year we must build on those successes and protect these critical seats. 

And the work doesn’t stop at the state legislature. At the Federal level, North Carolina is a crucial state in defeating President Trump and Senator Thom Tillis. Senator Tillis has been nothing but a rubber stamp for President Trump’s agenda from failing to protect Title X funding to most recently signing on to a memo asking for Roe v. Wade to be overturned. This is not what North Carolinians want and this year we have a real chance of kicking him out of Congress! 

South Carolina 

Last year, South Carolina joined several states in introducing an abortion ban that would ban abortion as early as six weeks in the state. The bill, which will be brought up again this session, would take away a person’s decision to terminate their pregnancy before many even know they have a decision to make. The House of Representatives passed this bill last year and the Senate will advance this bill when session starts later this month.  

Anti-abortion legislators were so eager to pass this ban on safe, legal abortion that they called a special session this past fall just to advance this dangerous bill. A special session on a single issue like this has never been called before. It is critical that we work to unseat these politicians that consistently put their own extreme politics above the health and well-being of South Carolinians. 

Members and volunteers will be working hard this year to elect endorsed candidates in the state to prevent extreme bills like this abortion ban from being introduced and passed in the future. 

South Carolina is also a critical state in the Democratic primary for President and Planned Parenthood will have lots of opportunities for members to participate in events leading up to the primary!  

West Virginia 

In West Virginia, we are gearing up to fight an extreme anti-abortion bill, a bill based not in science or fact, but in inflammatory language that solely seeks to criminalize doctors and demonize safe, legal abortion. This is a copycat of the bill we saw in North Carolina last year and defeated, but we know we face an uphill battle winning this fight and will need all of our volunteers and members to show out in full force to stop this dangerous bill from passing. 

We also have a lot to look forward to this session in West Virginia as we work on a multi-pronged proactive legislation agenda. On that agenda is three menstrual equity bills to lessen the equality gap between folks who have their periods and those that don’t. We’ll also be working alongside our partners to secure paid family leave, and stand in solidarity with our LGBTQ neighbors against a terrible foster care bill and in support of the Fairness Act. 

Virginia 

Last year, we saw huge wins in Virginia as the election flipped both legislative chambers to a pro-reproductive health majority. Now, with reproductive health champs and Governor in Richmond we can make great strides for sexual and reproductive healthcare in the state.  

One great example of this is just this week we anticipate the Virginia legislature will become the 38th state to pass the Equal Rights Amendment, solidifying that women are equal under the eyes of the law and the constitution!  

Virginia is also a critical state in defeating President Trump and his anti-reproductive health and anti-LGBTQ agenda. By becoming a member, you’ll be the first to know about events and volunteer opportunities happening in Virginia to make sure this president doesn’t have four more years to take away our rights and limit our access to health care.  

There is so much at stake in 2020. We will be fighting regressive bills and pushing proactive legislation during our state legislative sessions; we will be confronting attacks on Roe v. Wade and other reproductive health protections at the federal level; we will make sure our patients and marginalized communities are counted in the Census; and we will elect endorsed candidates in November. We need you for all of this. 

In 2020, We Decide. Join us by becoming a Member of Planned Parenthood Votes! South Atlantic and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund today. Help us demonstrate our power and build even more momentum behind our movement.  

One last thing: this month, we are participating in “Justice in January” with Planned Parenthood affiliates and our national office by kicking off political actions in all 50 states. Check out all the awesome events we are hosting in NC, SC, WV, and VA here. If you’re resolving to resist with Planned Parenthood Votes! South Atlantic, this is a great place to start!