PRESS STATEMENT

Contact: Cynde Cerf

602.263.4225, media@ppaz.org

August 11, 2011

Planned Parenthood Arizona Statement:

Update on 2009 Abortion Omnibus Bill Injunction

PHOENIX--- Today the Arizona Court of Appeals issued its decision on whether the preliminary injunction granted on September 29, 2009, will remain in effect while the lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a number of the provisions continues.

Bryan Howard, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Arizona:

“Planned Parenthood Arizona is extremely disappointed with the court’s decision to discontinue the preliminary injunction. Although the Court of Appeals disagrees that these challenged restrictions are unconstitutional.

We still believe the superior court was correct in its original decision that questioned the constitutionality of these laws that put the health and well-being of women at risk by restricting their access to comprehensive care.”

Planned Parenthood Arizona is committed to providing affordable access to comprehensive health care for women and families and will continue to do so through the litigation process. As a licensed medical provider, we are diligent to maintain federal and state standards and will be in the process of putting these provisions into place.”

Planned Parenthood Arizona filed for a preliminary injunction in September 2009 after Governor Brewer signed House Bill 2564 into law in July 2009.

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In the community for 76 years, Planned Parenthood Arizona is the leading sexual health organization in Arizona. The organization provides health care, education and outreach services to more than 90,000 men, women, teens and parents annually. Planned Parenthood Arizona operates health center locations statewide in Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff, Prescott and Yuma. For more information, please visit www.ppaz.org.

COURT ISSUES STAY IN PLANNED PARENTHOOD’S SUIT TO PROTECT WOMEN’S ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE

Planned Parenthood Arizona is very pleased that a stay has been granted delaying the enactment of House Bill 2416 and Senate Bill 1030 – two bills signed into law that threaten to drastically limit access to abortion in Arizona by imposing medically unnecessary limits on which trained medical professionals can provide abortion by pill.

We are pleased to share the positive results of our efforts.

Planned Parenthood Arizona went to court on June 29, 2011 to amend current litigation that already involved pieces of this year’s legislation.

We are glad to say that the court, with the state’s consent, allowed us to amend the litigation and placed a hold on enforcement of the restrictions until a further hearing is held. This hold means that the statutes, which were scheduled to go into effect on July 20, will not go into effect until at least the next hearing, which is slated for August 22. At that hearing, the judge will decide whether to grant a preliminary injunction, which would continue to prevent the statutes from going into effect.

Bryan Howard, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Arizona says this is good news for Arizona women and their families because they can continue to receive a full range of reproductive health care in their home communities.

“This is a law all Arizonans should be concerned about,” said Bryan Howard, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Arizona. “The government has erected barriers that deny citizens the ability to make their own health care decisions. We are grateful the court has put this law on hold.”

This law creates substantial burdens on some pregnant women, increases cost, and denies access to services for women who seek abortion. It is designed to make accessing abortion in Arizona more complicated while also making it difficult for medical providers to offer accessible, affordable care.

Planned Parenthood Arizona would like to acknowledge and express its appreciation to its deeply talented legal counsel in Arizona, as well as the experienced counsel at the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Planned Parenthood Arizona will continue to provide the quality, affordable health care women and families have expected from the organization for 75 years –cancer screenings, well-woman exams, HIV/STI testing and educational programming and abortion care – throughout the litigation process.

PLANNED PARENTHOOD ARIZONA FILES LAWSUIT TO PROTECT WOMEN’S ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE

Planned Parenthood Arizona filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of several provisions in the omnibus anti-abortion law that threatens women’s access to health care in Arizona.

“Planned Parenthood of Arizona is committed to ensuring women and families in this state have access to the comprehensive reproductive care they need,” said Bryan Howard, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Arizona. “This law puts the health and well being of more than half of our state’s residents at risk by restricting women’s access to comprehensive care. We believe the regulations should not be put into place until the court rules on the legality of this onerous law.”

This law does nothing but creates barriers, increases cost, and denies access to services and providers for women who seek abortion care. It is designed to make accessing abortion care in Arizona more complicated while also making it difficult for medical providers to provide accessible, affordable care.

The lawsuit was filed in state court, and Planned Parenthood Arizona has asked the court to prevent the new restrictions from going into effect while the litigation is pending. Planned Parenthood Arizona is committed to providing affordable access to health care for women and families and will continue to do so through this litigation process.

Governor Brewer Signs Extreme Measure to Prevent Women from Accessing Abortion Care in Arizona!

If you can't access safe, legal health care, do you really have a choice?
We at Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona understand better than most the conflicting values and emotions that surface when women face the decision to terminate a pregnancy. We also understand that it is every woman's right to have access to safe abortion care. Lawmakers in Arizona disagree.

In the last two years, Governor Jan Brewer signed into law some of the most extreme measures Arizona has ever seen that will have a chilling effect on our access to reproductive health care. These laws are broad and far-reaching and is designed ONLY to restrict women's access to reproductive health care and birth control. It contains a number of draconian components that do nothing but interfere with a woman's right to obtain abortion care and birth control such as Emergency Contraception.

We all want to reduce the need for abortion, but we must address this problem at its root, by addressing the epidemic that is unplanned pregnancy, something this legislature and this governor seem unwilling to do.

Please join now by clicking below and help Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona continue to work to elect policy makers that are pro- women, pro-family and PRO-CHOICE!!

Planned Parenthood will do everything in our power to prevent this law from becoming a reality, but this will come at a hefty price. Your support is needed today.

Please help Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona continue to advocate for women regardless of their circumstances by joining us today. In this environment, defending access and choice for women and families in your community will take an enormous amount of time and money. Only your support can make this possible.

View the 2011 Legislative Scorecard and see how YOUR legislators voted!

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