TEXAS FIGHTS BACK! 2013 Annual Report

TEXAS FIGHTS BACK! 2013 Annual Report

June 25, 2013 was a day I ll never forget, just as I ll never forget the days leading up it or the days that followed. I remember walking out to the middle of the rotunda, looking up at the sea of orange and bursting into tears. That day I was overcome with pride in the people of Texas as we all made history together. we learned that Texans can shake a granite building when you try to take away our reproductive freedoms. We all know by now how that turned out: the restrictions passed as HB2 in a second special session. But we didn t give TEXAS SHOWED UP! 83RD REGULAR LEGISLATIVE SESSION up. Texans continued to fight back. You came to the Capitol by the thousands, waiting until the wee hours of the night The Orange Shirts are born! to testify or to observe the debates. You affirmed my faith in the power of this movement, a power that had faded, but is now back in full force. Now we re going to keep fighting The orange mob gather on the Lamar Pedestrian bridge to demand NO MORE RESTRICTIONS! We successfully keep all antichoice legislation from the floor of both chambers during the regular session. back, keep building our power for the long road ahead. Most of the restrictions have already gone into effect, all but the requirement that clinics turn into mini-hospitals by September 1, 2014. My heart has broken every time JUNE 11: PERRY ADDS ABORTION TO THE SPECIAL SESSION another clinic has been forced to close, every time we see Supporters at the first Senate HHS hearing an entire area of the state lose access to safe, legal abortion care and every time someone calls our office needing help. JUNE 20 Nearly 700 people come out for the People s Filibuster. What keeps me going are our supporters, all of you who keep showing up to events in orange, keep sending in your membership donations and keep We number in the thousands for the House floor debate. speaking out. You are the reason I do this work. It was absolutely worth the permanent hearing damage JUNE 25: SEN. WENDY DAVIS FILIBUSTERS SB5 You are the ones who make this movement strong. I sustained from standing in the rotunda from 11:45 until midnight, my whole body vibrating from our voices It s going to be a long time before we can undo the damage rising in unison. On June 25, we learned that one that s been done. Now more than ever your support is critical woman can stand and speak for hours on end without to our work. We re in this for the long haul. I m not going to any breaks, while thousands more watched her, also give up. I m going to keep fighting back with you. Thank you forgoing food, water and bathroom visits. On June 25, for your continued support of NARAL Pro-Choice Texas! We pack the Capitol to capacity and the people s voices defeat the bill! 182,000 PEOPLE watch the filibuster via livestream over the course of 13 HOURS JUNE 26: PERRY CALLS A SECOND SPECIAL SESSION Heather Busby, Executive Director JULY 1 an estimated 7,000 Unruly Mobsters come to a noon rally JULY 2 NARAL Pro-Choice Texas JULY 8 Senate HHS Committee hearing: 2,082 register in opposition to HB2. House State Affairs hearing: 2,181 register in opposition to HB2. We fill the Capitol until the very end.

THE FIGHT FOR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS CONTINUES. WHAT DOES HB2 DO? As a result of the passage of HB 2 in July 2013: Abortions cannot be performed after 20 weeks of pregnancy. All doctors who perform abortions must have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles. WHAT HAPPENS TO ACCESS? Throughout 2014, increasing numbers of Texas clinics will close. At the beginning of 2013, there were 42 open clinics in our state. As of May 2014, only 22 clinics remain open. And when HB2 s ambulatory surgical center requirement goes into effect in September 2014, there will be only six. MEANWHILE... Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs) centers that use manipulative tactics and dispense misleading information on abortion continue to grow with the support of state lawmakers. Last session the Texas Legislature increased funding to CPCs to $5 million of your taxpayer dollars. JANUARY 13: 42 OPEN CLINICS MAY 14: 22 OPEN CLINICS SEPTEMBER 14: 6 OPEN CLINICS All abortion clinics must meet ambulatory surgical center ( mini-hospital ) building requirements by September 2014. Instead of safer, evidencebased practices for the abortion pill, doctors are now forced to follow an outdated FDA protocol. WHO S RESPONSIBLE? Check out our HB 2 Legislative Scorecard to learn more: prochoicetexas.org TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: 96 TOTAL VOTES FOR HB2 92 REPUBLICANS 4 DEMOCRATS 49 TOTAL VOTES AGAINST HB2 48 DEMOCRATS 1 REPUBLICAN TEXAS STATE SENATE: 19 TOTAL VOTES FOR HB2 18 REPUBLICANS 1 DEMOCRAT 11 TOTAL VOTES AGAINST HB2 (ALL DEMOCRATS)

2013 WAS A BIG YEAR! NEW INITIATIVES LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE! Launched the Next Generation Project, which will train the next generation of pro-choice leaders in Texas GETTING OUT INTO THE STATE Yvonne Morales Pelayo, Heather Busby, Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon, Aimee Arrambide and Emily Martin at San Antonio Stars event NARAL Pro-Choice Texas staff were featured on panels and Blake Rocap receives his honorary uterus from Jane s Due Process director Tina Hester at film screenings, events and meetings in Austin, Houston, Lize Burr, Heather Busby, Brittany Yelverton Dallas, Denton, Victoria, San Antonio and more! WE CELEBRATED WITH YOU! In 2013 we kicked off the year with the Roe v. Wade 40th anniversary reception in Austin. We also held a meet & greet in Houston, teamed up with Lilith Fund on an Austin house party with featured guest Sarah Weddington, honored our Legislative Counsel Blake Rocap at Men for Choice, partnered with Lilith Fund and Jane s Due Process for pub trivia in Houston and celebrated our pro-choice stars at a reception in San Antonio. We wrapped up the year with our signature event, Celebration of Choice, and Rep. Mary Gonzalez, Sen. Kirk Watson, Rep. Donna Howard, Rep. Dawnna Dukes Board members Yvonne Pelayo, Lillian Ortiz, Melissa Nicholson, Kelli Gill and Lisa Danley-Herring a holiday happy hour. Susan Hays and Ramey Ko AND WE GREW! After decades at our offices on Oltorf, NARAL Pro-Choice Texas got some new digs in 2013. In March, Anna Rubin joined director Heather Busby on staff as our Online Communications and Administrative Manager. After the special sessions, we brought on two more staffers: Aimee Arrambide and Emily Martin. Emily is now our Program Director! We also increased our presence statewide and saw a 50% growth in membership. Tammy Kimmelman and Sarah Eckhardt Rep. Elliott Naishtat congratulates Blake Rocap Rep. Jessica Farrar and Rep. Elliott Naishtat

YOUR VOICE COUNTS! Here s how you can do even more. DONATE Set up a recurring gift. As a monthly sustaining member of Sarah s Circle, you ll help protect Texans reproductive rights each and every month. Become a member. Your membership gift of $35 or more will support our hard-hitting political efforts to preserve reproductive rights. Leave a pro-choice legacy. Consider adding NARAL Pro-Choice Texas to your will or living trust. Call 512-462-1661 for assistance. ADVOCATE Attend a training. We offer educational trainings around the state on pro-choice communication, activism and community organizing. Check our website for further details. Stay up to date. Sign up for email updates, follow @naraltx and #FightBackTX on Twitter and like us on Facebook. Spread the word. Have conversations about reproductive rights and the importance of political engagement. Your voice can make a difference. VOLUNTEER Help out at a fundraising event. Volunteers make our events possible we re always looking for help with Men For Choice in the spring and Celebration of Choice in the fall. Put in some hours at the office. Administrative volunteers assist with mailings and other office tasks. Get out the vote. During the election season, our volunteers do block walking and phone banking to help mobilize voters. P.O. BOX 684602 AUSTIN, TX 78768 512.462.1661 PROCHOICETEXAS.ORG FACEBOOK.COM/PROCHOICETEXAS TWITTER: @NARALTX