April, 24 2019, 12:00am EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Email: media@reproductivefreedomforall.org
NARAL REPORT: Brian Kemp Is One of America's Worst Governors for Women
Kemp has spent his first 100 days in office working to criminalize abortion and punish Georgia women
WASHINGTON
Today, on Gov. Kemp's 100th day in office, NARAL released an updated report highlighting his dangerous history of working to destroy the rights of Georgia women and families, demonstrating how Kemp has been one of the worst governors in America since his inauguration. The report shines a light on Kemp's lack of compassion for women as he has pulled out all the stops to outlaw abortion in Georgia. Despite using all of his political might to try and force through HB 481, an extreme measure that would ban abortion before many women know that they are pregnant, Kemp continues to drag his feet on signing HB 481 because he knows the political backlash he will face once it goes into effect.
NARAL Pro-Choice America currently ranks Georgia as a state with "severely restricted access" to reproductive health care in its annual Who Decides report due to the state's bans on abortion, biased counseling requirements, and mandatory delays on women seeing care. NARAL's report reveals the toll Gov. Kemp is taking on the state of Georgia, especially women and families.
"Here are the facts: Brian Kemp claims to be a friend to women and families but he has proven that he has zero compassion for women. Kemp has ignored the growing healthcare crisis Georgians face, including the highest maternal mortality rate in the entire nation, choosing instead to launch attacks on our reproductive freedom," said NARAL Pro-Choice Georgia State Director, Laura Simmons. "Kemp has gone against the best interest of Georgians at every turn, operating in direct contradiction to the values Georgians hold. Seven in 10 Georgians want abortion access to remain safe, legal and accessible. NARAL members have been out on the frontlines, holding extreme politicians like Brian Kemp accountable for interfering in personal healthcare decisions and we won't let up the pressure."
Brian Kemp has forced his extremist, out-of-touch ideology on Georgians since taking office. Here's an overview:
- Kemp prioritized extreme anti-choice bills during his first few months as Governor, openly supporting one of the most exreme abortion bans in the country, HB 481, which once in effect, will ban abortion before many women even know they are pregnant.
- Kemp supported a "trigger law" to ban abortion in Georgia if the U.S. Supreme Court gutted or overturned Roe v. Wade.
- Kemp believes abortion should be illegal even in cases of rape or incest, despite the fact that 7 in 10 Georgians believe that abortion should remain safe, legal, and free from government interference.
- Kemp supported accused sexual assaulter Brett Kavanaugh in his nomination for the Supreme Court, even after Georgia women called for him to do the right thing and condemn Kavanaugh.
- Kemp wanted to undo the Roe and Doe Supreme Court decisions that protect access to safe and legal abortion and outlined his plan to overturn Roe: "We advance pro-life legislation, battle in the courtroom, and wait on the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade."
- Kemp identified as "unapologetically pro-life" and supports dangerous "personhood" policies and "believes that life begins at conception."
- Georgia Right to Life endorsed Kemp in past elections due to his opposition to rape and incest exceptions to abortion bans.
You can find the full report here.
GOP backers of the six-week ban forced the bill through the General Assembly, barely getting the bill to pass by one single vote, despite a wave of outrage from business leaders and the film industry, including the Writers Guild of America, executives from Amazon and Coca-Cola, and more than 40 actors who say they "cannot in good conscience" continue to work in the TV and film production hub if HB 481 goes into effect.
NARAL members are not letting Kemp get away with his extreme attacks on our basic rights. Since the moment HB 481 was introduced, more than 200 pro-choice activists from across the state flooded the halls of the Capitol in Atlanta to oppose the bill. NARAL members also made more than 9,000 calls, sent thousands of emails, and wrote hundreds of heartfelt letters to lawmakers asking them to stand up for reproductive freedom and oppose the criminalizing of abortion.
For over 50 years, Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America) has fought to protect and advance reproductive freedom at the federal and state levels—including access to abortion care, birth control, pregnancy and post-partum care, and paid family leave—for everybody. Reproductive Freedom for All is powered by its more than 4 million members from every state and congressional district in the country, representing the 8 in 10 Americans who support legal abortion.
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