Oppose the House's Amendment to the Pro-Choice License Plate!
Pro-Choice License Plates Face Biased Amendment Challenges! According to the House of Delegates, Trust Women: Respect Choice license plates can no longer fund pregnancy prevention, breast and cervical cancer screenings We were on a roll last week! With your help, the “Trust Women: Respect Choice” license plate had made it past the Transportation Committees in both the House and Senate. It was scheduled for a vote on the floor in both houses this week. But then an amendment was introduced in the House yesterday morning. Delegate Gilbert- who repeatedly receives a 0% on our Legislative Scorecard- proposed that Planned Parenthood be stripped of the funding from the pro-choice license plate. Instead, the House, in a 56-39 vote, reallocated the license plate’s funds, your own money, to the Pregnant Women Support Fund. While we all support women facing unintended pregnancies, the point of this funding stream was prevention! The House of Delegates doesn’t even support your right to choose where your own money goes. And never mind their previous claims that license plate funding streams are not state-regulated monies, such as those funding medically inaccurate crisis pregnancy centers. Just a little hypocritical, huh? The Virginia General Assembly has NEVER before amended the funding of a license plate. This is unprecedented, biased, and chock-full of anti-choice hypocrisy. We’re more than a little irritated and think that anyone who understands how important reproductive health care and pregnancy prevention are will be so too. That’s why we’re asking you to send an email and make a phone call to your Delegate who voted in favor of this unprecedented and biased amendment. Here's a list of all the Delegates who voted on the amendment. If your delegate voted 'Yes,' it's a biased, unprecedented vote against prevention! To check who your delegate is, just go here. Example of Email to Send to a Delegate who voted for the hypocritical amendment: Dear Delegate, As one of your constituents, I am appalled at your decision to vote in favor of the amendment to HB 1108 on February 15th, stripping the ‘Trust Women: Respect Choice” license plate funding stream from Planned Parenthood’s reproductive health and prevention programs. - The funding stream from the “Trust Women: Respect Choice” license plate was set to go to Planned Parenthood’s educational and prevention-focused programs, such as cervical and breast cancer screenings, pregnancy prevention programs, and reproductive healthcare. No money would have been allocated for abortion services.
- More than 350 Virginians signed up for the “Trust Women: Respect Choice” license plate, indicating their support for this plate and its funding stream for Planned Parenthood. This amendment negates the bill and the money that Virginia consumers individually selected.
- No other license plate funding stream in the history of the General Assembly has ever been subject to an amendment altering its allocations. This is highly unprecedented and demonstrates a clear bias against women’s health.
I am extremely disappointed in your decision to support this amendment and will be sure to speak with my friends and neighbors about it as well. Example of Email to Send to your Delegate Who Voted Against the Hypocritical Amendment: Dear Delegate, As one of your constituents, I thank you for your vote against the amendment to HB 1108 on February 15th, stripping the ‘Trust Women: Respect Choice” license plate funding stream from Planned Parenthood’s reproductive health and prevention programs. - The funding stream from the “Trust Women: Respect Choice” license plate was set to go to Planned Parenthood’s educational and prevention-focused programs, such as cervical and breast cancer screenings, pregnancy prevention programs, and reproductive healthcare. No money would have been allocated for abortion services.
- More than 350 Virginians signed up for the “Trust Women: Respect Choice” license plate, indicating their support for this plate and its funding stream for Planned Parenthood. This amendment negates the bill and the money that Virginia consumers individually selected.
- No other license plate funding stream in the history of the General Assembly has ever been subject to an amendment altering its allocations. This is highly unprecedented and demonstrates a clear bias against women’s health.
I am grateful to your willingness to honor precedent and to ensure that this license plate funds prevention services for the women and men of the Commonwealth. Thank you,
| 
