1. United States
2. Ga.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to restore reproductive healthcare rights to Georgians by repealing Georgia House Bill 481. Georgia House Bill 481 has had catastrophic consequences for the health of all women in the state. A report from the Commonwealth Fund has showed that states that restrict abortion have fewer maternity care providers, more maternity care deserts, and higher rates of maternal mortality and infant death. Georgia has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country. This bill does not only affect women wanting abortions, it is killing mothers and leaving children motherless. If you truly cared about children the way you claim to, you would repeal bills that kill their mothers. This is not a hypothetical. Candi Miller died and left her children without a mother, because she could not receive adequate medical treatment when her health could not support another pregnancy. Amber Thurman died after obtaining a LEGAL abortion, one which she had to obtain because she couldn’t support a second child, because laws restricting the DNC meant doctors had to wait until it was too late. Both of these deaths were ruled preventable by the maternal mortality review committee. When it was made public knowledge that these deaths were preventable, the MMRC was disbanded. Women who have miscarriages need DNCs. I am likely to miscarry at least once when I start trying to have a child. If I want to have a family in Georgia I will have to risk my life. I am a proud Georgian. It saddens me greatly to know that when I am ready to have a child I will have to move to another state to be sure that attempting to have a child won’t be the last thing I ever do. In Governor Kemp’s video training regarding his commitment to ending human trafficking in the state of Georgia, he talks about how much his daughters mean to him, and how deeply he is committed to protecting women in the state of Georgia. It is shameful and it is disgraceful that he would espouse his commitment to protect women while upholding laws that result in their death. It is shameful and disgraceful that he would pledge to aid trafficking survivors while making them carry children borne from their trafficking. It is shameful and disgraceful that he would claim to care about mothers and families while upholding laws that leave children motherless. It is shameful and disgraceful that the state of Georgia has one of the highest maternal mortality rates and the committee dedicated to reducing those deaths would be disbanded when it exposed the true cost of this bill. It is shameful and disgraceful that the state legislature would claim to care about what Georgians want yet uphold this law when many polls over several years have shown the majority of Georgians do not support it. In upholding a bill that your constituents do not want that kills them, you have made a mockery of public service. Repeal Georgia House Bill 481 and restore healthcare for women in Georgia.