AZ Legislative Update
Posted on May 4, 2010
No, this is not about immigration, but about infertility. Boy, oh boy has it been interesting in AZ the past week. Generally we only make the news because of our weather. I feel so sorry for those who oppose SB1070. I know what it is like to deal with the AZ Legislators. They do not listen to logic or reason. I’m neutral on SB1070 as I don’t know enough about what the bill does to protect us, but I do have friends who think they will be racially profiled because of it…
Anyway, on to more relevant topics. In Arizona the Legislators passed the two anti-family bills, with amendments. It is my understanding that SB1306, the Egg Donor bill, imposes additional informed consent requirements for the doctors and egg donors but does little else to harm infertility patients. While some donors may choose to leave the donor program when they see the mound of paperwork they have to read and sign, most of them would have done so anyway. The women who really want to help other women have a baby won’t be putout by the additional paperwork.
SB1307, the ugly research bill that would have made IVF basically illegal in the State of Arizona is now an anti-stem cell and anti-animal/human hybrid bill. Seriously, who is creating an animal/human hybrid? The illegal immigrants? Actually, the animal/human hybrid nonsense was a front to pass Personhood legislation. Thankfully we were able to defeat the Personhood movement this year. The legislators have promised it will be back on the agenda for next year.
So, even though RESOLVE is bummed about the passage of both of these bills, they are much less harmful in final form than they were initially proposed.
A few lessons learned:
1. The legislators do not care who they hurt or why. They have their own agenda and they are out to please the group(s) that can help them get re-elected.
2. Negotiating with the legislators is stressful and frustrating. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. In our case, negotiations were the death of our opposition. However, another non-profit was able to successfully negotiate portions out of a bill to their benefit.
3. Your vote really matters. Who you vote for will determine which silly laws get passed. There are a few folks in my district who will not be getting my votes, ever!
» Filed Under Infertility, Patient Advocacy, Resources
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2 Responses to “AZ Legislative Update”
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I agree with you on the legislators agenda. They should have to have someone in there making decision about it who has actually experienced it.
Surrogacy From the Heart, thanks for leaving a comment. You are right, the legislator’s should only be able to make laws on topics they know about first-hand, and even then it might not be a perfect system.