Live Action Camp Update

This past Saturday I attended a Live Action Camp in North Dakota about health care reform. It was a great experience and I learned a lot about health care reform. The speakers were very informative and the group had some good discussions regarding the issue. It is something that is on a lot of our minds and is definitely a concern to many of us. If the current system is going to be overhauled, it is important to be informed about the possible changes. And events, like a Live Action Camp, are perfect for updating your knowledge.

Specifically, we learned about the types of reform, like the public option and single payer plan, and even about the Medicaid Waiver and the important part it can and does play in health care. We also learned about Planned Parenthood’s priorities when it comes to health care reform since they have always been a strong voice for women’s rights. Prevention, affordable, high-quality health care for all, and choice of health care provider should be guarantees when it comes to our health care.

The second half of the camp was about getting your own voice out there, whether through personal letters to the editor or by contacting your legislators. Letters to the editor are often short, but precise in what you want to convey to the public, and a great way to voice your thoughts and opinions. Contacting your legislators is much easier and more effective than many people often think. If we all come together and utilize our individual voices, I think we can make a major impact on the outcome of health care reform.

So overall, I was very glad I make the trip up north. Everyone I met was very nice and friendly and had legitimate concerns about health care reform. I would also encourage anyone to attend a Live Action Camp, if given the chance, because of the great experience I had.

My First Live Action Camp

This Saturday, I have the opportunity to attend my very first Live Action Camp in Fargo, North Dakota. I have been looking forward to this experience for weeks now, ever since I was invited to attend it. This should be a great addition to my internship experience and I look forward to attending and helping out the North Dakota division of Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota.

This particular Live Action Camp is going to have a health care reform focus. There will be speakers to explain the background, the public-option proposal, and how Planned Parenthood’s priorities are affected or could be affected by health care reform. Then to top off the day, North Dakotans in attendance will be making calls to their congressman, documenting their own personal health care stories, and drafting potential letters to the editor.

I am looking forward to the speakers because even though I hear and receive a lot of information on health care reform, it still can be very confusing and overwhelming. I hope the knowledge and insight I gain will help me to make more sense of everything, and therefore I can be a better-informed intern.

The action portion in the afternoon should be fun also. Actually taking your own knowledge and opinions and publicizing them can be a very powerful thing. We all tend to want to be heard and calls to your Legislators and letters to the editor are great ways to get your voice out there. The more people who speak up, the louder the voice and I think that is exactly what needs to be done when it comes to health care reform.

Please stay tuned for an update next week about my trek up north and my experience from my first, and probably not last, Live Action Camp.

Victory in North Dakota

I am so proud of and happy for my collegues in North Dakota. What a victory to end last week on. Congratulations for all your hard work.

North Dakota Senate Defeats Broad and Sweeping “Personhood” Bill

Bismarck — Today the North Dakota Senate defeated HB 1572 by a margin of 29 to 16. If passed, HB 1572 could have outlawed contraception as well as medical procedures used to treat tubal pregnancies and infertility, impacting thousands of laws in the North Dakota Century Code. “This poorly constructed legislation would have had a profound impact on the state, affecting everything from when property rights are granted, to inheritance rights, to access to the courts,” said Tim Stanley, Senior Director of Government and Public Affairs for Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota (PPMNS). “This bill would have put the government in charge of personal health care decisions best left to women, their doctors and families--not politicians,” said Stanley. HB 1572 was backed by national activist groups working to make North Dakota the epicenter of a heated national debate. Personhood USA backed HB1572 and unsuccessfully attempted to change the Colorado constitution with similar language last November. Colorado voters defeated the measure by 3 to 1.

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Victory for our friends up North!

As you most likely know our Planned Parenthood affiliate is a three state affiliate: Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota. And, while our state is no stranger to extremist groups trying to pass laws that put government in the middle of personal, family decisions, our friends in North Dakota have had quite the fight this legislative session.

I am so happy to share a victory for our collegues and friends up north. The battle isn't over yet, but this is certainly a step in the right direction.

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