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Advocates for Choice in Wichita Tell Walgreens "Fill my Pills!"

Emergency contraception (EC) contains the same hormones found in regular birth control pills. It does not end an established pregnancy. Yet more and more pharmacists are refusing to fill EC prescriptions on the premise that doing so violates their moral beliefs.

On February 2, Planned Parenthood supporters gained national attention for bringin attention to this disturbing -- and discriminatory -- trend.

Women's health advocates protest Walgreen's refusal to fill emergency contraception prescriptions
 Read the release

Media Coverage
Denial of morning-after pillsparks protest over prescription

Community Feedback from the Wichita Eagle blog
 Legal Prescriptions Should be Filled -- Period

Advocacy at PPKM

    Advocating for reproductive health and rights at the state and federal levels is an important part of PPKM's mission. Public officials need to know how their constituents feel about issues relating to women's health care, reproductive rights and freedom of choice. PPKM's Public Affairs Department works to establish public policy which protects and increases access to family planning services, abortion and sexuality education.

    Public Affairs activities include:

    • Monitoring local, state and national policies affecting reproductive health
    • Educating the public, policy-makers and candidates regarding Planned Parenthood issues
    • Educating voters so they can help make a difference in upcoming elections
    • Mobilizing pro-choice activists through the Planned Parenthood Action Network, phone banks, the internet and special events

We need your help!  Here's why

    Fact 1:  In the last three years, Congress has voted more than 100 times to restrict access to birth control and abortion.

    Fact 2:  Our ability to stop new restrictions from becoming law in Kansas and Missouri is increasingly at risk.

    Fact 3:  Trends in anti-choice legislation include continued attacks on minors' access to abortion and new bills restricting women's access to RU486 (mifepristone)*.

    Fact 4:  President Bush continues his assault on women's rights and freedoms (read more here)

    * Figures reported in "Who Decides? A State-by-State Review of Abortion and Reproductive Rights" released by the NARAL Foundation

Take action!  Join the Planned Parenthood Action Network

    The Planned Parenthood Action Network keeps you informed about choice-related news and provides a way for you to send e-mails and faxes to your elected officials on issues relating to reproductive rights. Provide your contact information here and you will receive periodic legislative updates and action alerts that will allow you to stay informed, speak out, and make a difference. It's your voice -- make it heard!


Contact your legislators

    Kansas residents:
    Click here to locate your state legislators
    Click here for state House and Senate bill tracking

    Missouri residents:
    Click here to locate your state legislators
    Click here for state House and Senate bill tracking

    Click here to contact U.S. Senators (both states)
    Click here to contact U.S. Representatives (both states)

Letters to Public Officials

    Letters to public officials, whether hand-written, faxed or sent by email, are very important in influencing the actions of public officials. They need to hear that their constituents are pro-choice and that they support family planning and sex education. Even those officials who are "on the record" as not supporting access to reproductive health care should be contacted, just to remind them that there are people in their districts who feel they aren't being represented by them.

    Here are some style guidelines for sending a letter:

    • Handwritten letters are wonderful, as long as they are easy to read
    • Be sure to include your name and home address (so they can tell you're in their district).
    • If you have a connection to the official (family, business, church, or political), explain it. * Give any information that will help identify you.
    • Get right to the point. State why you are writing and what your position is. Give several reasons, preferably based on your own experience. Be direct and factual, but never rude or threatening.
    • If there is some particular action you are urging (yes/no vote on a specific piece of legislation, sponsorship of a bill, a letter or response, etc.), state it clearly. If you are writing about a particular bill, identify it by number or title if you can
    • Be sure to say thank you.
    • Address envelopes to “The Honorable (name of public official)”. For salutations, say “Dear Senator” or “Representative (last name)”.
  

Register to Vote

"It's not the hand that signs the laws that holds the destiny of America. It's the hand that casts the ballot."
President Harry Truman


    If you are not registered to vote, please do it now!

    Click here to register to vote in Kansas
    Click here to register to vote in Missouri



    Get Adobe Acrobat Reader    Acrobat Reader is required to open voter registration forms and other documents.
        Click here to download the free software.



Pending legislation

    Breaking news stories, including current legislation, are listed on the home page under "NEWS".

    The Public Affairs Department publishes a newsletter nearly every week during the state legislative sessions, one for Missouri and one for Kansas. The state legislative session in Kansas lasts from early January through the end of April usually. The Missouri session lasts from early January through mid-May.

    These newsletters, both called the Monitor, are distributed to pro-choice and "mixed" legislators. They are a very informative source of information about pending legislation in Kansas and Missouri.

      2004 Kansas Monitors  2004 Missouri Monitors

    For information about Congressional legislation, click here.


Links to advocacy resources