Whether it was about voting reform, becoming the first state legislature with a female majority or passing a variety of progressive laws, Nevada’s 80th legislative session made news this year. Now that the session is over, one thing is clear: Nevada is a leader for other states to follow.
This is especially true of the passing and signing of Senate Bill 94, also known as the family planning funding bill, into law. SB94 appropriated $6 million over the biennium for the state family planning grant program, increasing vital funding for reproductive health care throughout the state from its previous $1 million funding level.
In a feat of bipartisan support, the legislation passed unanimously. This is significant not only because it will provide much-needed support for both rural and urban health services across the state, but also because Nevada’s legislators saw the importance of providing access to vital health care services for those who need it most.
On a national scale, however, the outlook for reproductive health care is much dimmer. The most recent setback in access to care came recently when a panel of 9th Circuit federal judges allowed the Trump administration’s Title X “gag rule” to take effect while the case continues to work its way through the courts. Title X is the only federal grant program that provides access to vital reproductive health care services to those with low incomes, and this ruling will hit communities of color hardest.
The “gag rule” bans health care providers that receive Title X funds from making abortion service referrals or even discussing all options with their patients. It is an ideological attack on health care providers whose ethical obligation is to provide patients with an accurate and complete assessment of their health and options. As this rule goes into effect, millions of Americans will be left with no place to turn for affordable reproductive health care.
While SB94 provides the basis for broader access to reproductive care for all Nevadans, this is only the continuation of a larger fight. Nevada has ranked low in health outcomes for years, but slowly we’re working to change that. Moving forward, Nevada serves as an example in more than just a symbolic sense: We can also serve as a refuge for women from states that now have abortion bans and even restrictions to birth control-access that threaten the health of millions.
We cannot stand by as human life and health are devalued by this administration’s policies in new and extremely dangerous ways. As we look toward the future, Nevada is becoming a leading example of what it means when elected officials lead with their constituents’ well-being in mind.
Lindsey Harmon is the executive director for Planned Parenthood Votes Nevada. She can be reached at [email protected].