PLEASE read the messages below regarding a crisis for midwifery in Mississipi. (Note: the length is due to the list of legislators’ information at the end.)
Direct entry midwives have practiced legally in MS for many years, based on a very clear legal ruling, but the recently introduced bill, which has already passed the MS House, would override that ruling and re-criminalize midwifery in that state.
PLEASE, if you live in MS, take action! If you have family or friends in that state, PLEASE ask them to take action! The e-mails below have all the needed information on what to do.
Sincerely,
Susan Hodges, “gatekeeper”
From Susan Jenkins of the Big Push:
I am contacting everyone I know in the reproductive rights community, not limiting it to the birthing rights community. Please see and take action on the message below from our campaign manager, Katie Prown.
We have a terrible crisis in Mississippi, where a bill has been introduced and pass through the state House of Representatives, that would make direct entry midwife illegal, would re-criminalize midwifery in Mississippi. There are only a few midwives in Mississippi, and the consumer groups that are hurriedly organizing have lots of work to do to try to defeat this bill in the state Senate. We are asking everyone who has any contacts in Mississippi to alert them to call their state senators and the senators in charge of the key committees to defeat this bill. Relatives, friends, students, former students, former professors, anyone you know, so long as they live in MS, we need them to make these phone calls. Warning -- emails don't work as well, we need phone calls from MS residents. Please. It is way to late in the day to be criminalizing midwives -- subjecting them to arrest and criminal prosecution just for attending women in childbirth. Or that women could be denied the choice of who will attend her in childbirth.
Even if you are not in or from Mississippi, pass it on to someone you know who is there or might know someone there.
Thanks, please pass this on.
Susan Jenkins
The Big Push for Midwives Campaign
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Katherine Prown
Mississippi House Bill 695, which would OUTLAW Certified Professional Midwives and deny women access to their care, needs to be stopped TODAY!
If you live in or have midwifery or doula clients in Mississippi, start making calls and sending emails to your STATE SENATORS ONLY and forward this to anyone you know who lives in the state (calls can be made to home and office numbers both).
Mississippi residents can find out who their State Senator is here:
http://www.capitolc
It is particularly important that members of the Senate Public Health committee (listed below) hear from their constituents, telling them to vote NO on HB 695 and that you do NOT support making Certified Professional Midwives, who are specially trained to deliver babies in out-of-hospital settings illegal.
The bill, which includes stiff penalties for ANY midwife practicing who is not a nurse-midwife and which repeals the current exemption that midwives have from Mississippi’s medical practice act, has already sailed through the Mississippi House, so urgent action is needed TODAY.
http://billstatus.
Hob Bryan, Chair (It is especially urgent that Senator Bryan hear from his constituentsplease spread the word to anyone you know who lives in District 7 to start making calls)
District 7 - Itawamba, Lee, Monroe
Contact Information:
Capitol:
Room: 212 D
P. O. Box 1018
Jackson, MS 39215
(601)359-3234
Home:
P. O. Box 75
Amory, MS 38821
(662)256-9989 (H)
(662)256-9601 (W)
Bob M. Dearing
District 37 - Adams, Amite, Franklin, Pike
Contact Information:
Capitol:
Room: 215 B
P. O. Box 1018
Jackson, MS 39215
(601)359-3244
Home:
305 Melrose-Motebello Parkway
Natchez, MS 39120
(601)442-0486 (H)
(601)446-7651 (W)
(601)446-7651 (F)
Email:
bdearing@senate.
Hillman Terome Frazier
District 27 - Hinds
Contact Information:
Capitol:
Room: 213 E
P. O. Box 1018
Jackson, MS 39215
(601)359-3453
Home:
2066 Queensroad Avenue
Jackson, MS 39213
(601)982-1871 (H)
(601)359-5957 (F)
Email:
hfrazier@senate.
John Horhn
District 26 - Hinds, Madison
Contact Information:
Capitol:
Room: 212 B
P. O. Box 1018
Jackson, MS 39215
(601)359-6217
Home:
P.O. Box 2030
Jackson, MS 39225
(601)362-1045 (H)
(601)362-4285 (W)
Email:
jhorhn@senate.
Cindy Hyde-Smith
District 39 - Lawrence, Lincoln, Simpson
Contact Information:
Capitol:
Room: 405 B
P. O. Box 1018
Jackson, MS 39215
(601)359-3246
Home:
400 Cattle Trail, N. W.
Brookhaven, MS 39601
(601)835-3322 (H)
Email:
chydesmith@senate.
Kenneth Wayne Jones
District 21 - Attala, Holmes, Madison, Yazoo
Contact Information:
Capitol:
P. O. Box 1018
Jackson, MS 39215
(601)359-3232
Home:
232 Boyd Street
Canton, MS 39046
(601)859-3438 (H)
(601)859-8844 (W)
Email:
kjones@senate.
Willie Simmons
District 13 - Bolivar, Humphreys, Sunflower
Contact Information:
Capitol:
Room: 213 A
P. O. Box 1018
Jackson, MS 39215
(601)359-3288
Home:
P. O. Box 297
Cleveland, MS 39732
(662)846-7433 (W)
Email:
wsimmons@senate.
Bennie L. Turner
District 16 - Clay, Lowndes, Noxubee, Oktibbeha
Contact Information:
Capitol:
Room: 404 C
P. O. Box 1018
Jackson, MS 39215
(601)359-3210
Home:
P. O. Drawer 1500
West Point, MS 39773
(662)494-5061 (H)
(662)494-6611 (W)
Email:
bturner@senate.
Posts
1 comment:
Great news, this bill died in committee today according to the bill status link in the article.
Post a Comment