NARAL Pro-Choice Washington endorses Jay Inslee

Under the heading "Rep. Inslee is a steadfast champion for a woman’s right to choose," NARAL Pro-Choice Washington endorsed Jay Inslee for governor.

http://www.prochoicewashington.org/news/press/201112081.shtml

NARAL Pro-Choice Washington has issued an early endorsement for Rep. Jay Inslee for Governor.

“Rep. Inslee is a strong, vocal advocate for women’s rights and health, and NARAL Pro-Choice Washington is proud to support his bid for the Governor’s office,” said Christi Stapleton, Interim Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Washington. “Rep. Inslee understands the issues facing Washington women and families, and he will be a steadfast champion for reproductive rights in Olympia.”

“Jay Inslee is the only candidate in this race who stands for women’s rights and health,” Stapleton said.

“Time and again, Washington voters have shown that they want a Governor who is unequivocally pro-choice,” Stapleton added. “Washington women need to know that their Governor will stand up for them, whether it’s supporting full family planning funding in the state budget, advocating for pro-choice legislation, or supporting access to medications at the pharmacy counter.”

NARAL Pro-Choice Washington made an early endorsement in this race so that Washington voters will know that there is a clear distinction between the candidates on the issue of reproductive choice.

The endorsement also comes at a critical time for women’s access to health care. Pharmacy Board rules that protect patient access to needed medications, including emergency contraception, without hassle, delay or judgment are currently being challenged in a federal district court in Tacoma. Attorney General Rob McKenna’s office is responsible for defending these rules; however, rather than advocating for access to contraception, his office attempted to undermine the rules. In 2010, his office, joined by the plaintiffs in the case, requested a delay in the start of the trial to allow time for the Pharmacy Board to re-open the rulemaking process and potentially roll back the rules protecting patient access.

“Rep. Inslee has used his office to champion women’s access to contraception and reproductive health care. In marked contrast, when given the opportunity to stand up for women seeking emergency contraception and all Washington patients in need of time-sensitive medications, Rob McKenna tried to undermine the rules protecting patients’ rights,” Stapleton said. “If we can’t count on McKenna to support something as basic as contraception, it raises serious concerns about his commitment to our state’s pro-choice laws.”

NARAL Pro-Choice Washington is mobilizing its statewide network of 40,000 members and activists to ensure that Jay Inslee is the next Governor of Washington. “We will make sure that Washington’s pro-choice majority knows that Jay Inslee is the only pro-choice candidate in this race,” said Stapleton.

Background information on pharmacy access:

In 2006 the Washington Board of Pharmacy began considering whether or not to allow pharmacists to refuse to dispense valid medications for personal, non-medical reasons. Pro-choice Gov. Chris Gregoire responded by publicly advocating for rules that protect patients’ right to access needed medications without hassle, delay or judgment. NARAL Pro-Choice Washington and allied organizations generated a flood of phone calls, emails, and letters to the board in support of patient access. In 2007 the Board passed two rules (WAC 246-869-010 and WAC 246-863-095) stating that a patient cannot be turned away from a pharmacy because of the personal beliefs of an individual pharmacist. While much of the controversy was over emergency contraception, the rules apply to all medications.

Those rules are currently under legal challenge, and Attorney General McKenna’s office is charged with defending them. In 2010, the Attorney General’s office joined with the plaintiffs in the case and filed a motion to delay the proceedings, to give the Board time to re-open the rulemaking process. Shockingly, the apparent aim of the delay of the trial was to let the Board of Pharmacy reverse the intent of the rules and allow pharmacists to turn patients away due to personal objections to the medications being requested. Gov. Gregoire sent a letter to Attorney General McKenna criticizing the move. NARAL Pro-Choice Washington and allied organizations again mobilized their statewide networks of members and activists and generated thousands of emails and letters to the Board of Pharmacy in support of patient access. Ultimately, the pharmacy rules stayed in place, and the case is currently in federal district court.

NARAL Pro-Choice Washington is the leading grassroots pro-choice advocacy organization in Washington State. NARAL Pro-Choice Washington works to protect every woman’s right to access the full range of reproductive health options, including preventing unintended pregnancy, bearing healthy children, and choosing legal abortion. NARAL Pro-Choice Washington is the state affiliate of NARAL Pro-Choice America.

Contact: Alison Mondi, 206-624-1990