Please take a moment to contact your representative in the California Assembly and urge a yes vote on AB 2223. This bill would no longer treat stillbirths as “unattended deaths,” requiring a coroner’s investigation.
Sometime soon, the heavily conservative U.S. Supreme Court is expected to decimate the foundation of Roe v. Wade — and the legality of reproductive health care will be largely left up to each state. So bills like this are more important than ever.
Under current law, all fetal deaths at or after 20 weeks, with the exception of abortions, are treated as “unattended deaths” in California, requiring a coroner to investigate. This leads to a whole host of issues, anxiety and pain in women who are already going through a difficult time. At least two women were prosecuted, one for manslaughter and another for murder, after they delivered stillborn babies. In an era of lawmakers controlling pregnant people’s lives to an alarming degree, the last thing we need is parents who lose a pregnancy facing prosecution.
The Religious Right vocally opposes this bill, spreading misinformation that it would legalize infanticide. Lawmakers need to hear reasonable voices to balance out this noise.
Please click on the red “Take Action” link below to email your state representative and urge a yes vote on AB 2223. Feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided. Personalized messages are always the most impactful. For best results, be concise and polite.
