| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
April 14, 2005 |
NARAL Pro-Choice America Praises Governor Napolitano for Protecting Access to Birth Control
Washington, DC – NARAL Pro-Choice America President Nancy Keenan and NARAL Pro-Choice Arizona State Coordinator Heather Terrell issued the following joint statement in response to Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano’s veto of a bill that would have permitted pharmacies to refuse to fill safe, legal prescriptions as written by a physician.
NARAL Pro-Choice America President Nancy Keenan said: "Americans everywhere are waking up to the far right’s coordinated effort to roll back women’s basic rights, and to block their access to birth control, and we will fight to defend our access to such basic health care. Pharmacies have an ethical and legal duty to dispense. Like the vast majority of Arizona residents, Governor Napolitano understands that personal responsibility and timely access to birth control prevents unintended pregnancies."
NARAL Pro-Choice Arizona State Coordinator Heather Terrell added: "Governor Napolitano has made a common sense decision to defend the rights of Arizona women to access medications as prescribed to them by their doctors. But it’s truly incredible that in 2005 she should have to do so. In this day and age there should be no question that women who enter a pharmacy with a safe, legal prescription should have that prescription filled. Pharmacies have a moral and legal obligation not to endanger women’s health by withholding basic health care. Pharmacies have no right to override a decision made by a woman and her doctor."
Contact:
Ted Miller, 202.973.3032 |