HOMEBIRTH LEGISLATION ACTION ALERT! VALENTINES CARDS TO REPS PLEASE!!!!!
by Meliea Black Holbrook on Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 9:05pm ·
During the long session of 2011, our bill to license Certified Professional Midwives (CPMS) was filed in the House – H522, and a duplicate bill for licensure was filed in the Senate – S662. Both bills passed their first readings, and before the session adjourned, passed the first committee reading unanimously.
The next step for our bill is to pass through the House and Senate Health and Services Committees. The first opportunity for this to happen will be during the short session of 2012. This session commences on May 16th. Currently, the short session is only expected to last for 5 weeks. Therefore, our bill must move fast through each committee and the full House and Senate in order to achieve our goal of the CPM licensure bill becoming law in NC this year.
If our bill is going to make it through the committees and full House and Senate, it is imperative that the Health Committees agree to hear our bill during the first week of the short session.
We need your help to make this happen! We have been repeatedly told by the legislators that the North Carolina Friends of Midwives members have been very impressive in their genuine grassroots support for midwives and this bill. The legislators are reading our e-mails, listening when we call, and they are really impressed by the letters and cards they are receiving.
We need to let the Health and Services Committee members know how very important it is that they make our bill a priority when they return in May for the short session. We ask that once a month you contact them with a handwritten note in your own words telling them how important licensing CPMs is, and urging them to pass H522/S662 in the first week of the short session. In March – “Happy St. Patrick’s Day” notes with our message, in April we’d love “Happy Easter” or “Happy Spring” notes, and in May, right before opening session, we’d love for these legislators to get “Happy Mother’s Day” messages.
Please see next e-mail for the committee members’ addresses and other specifics for the February action alert project.
Thanks everyone! It is because of you and your efforts that we are the best grassroots advocacy group in NC, and 2012 is going to be the year our CPMs finally get the legal recognition they deserve!
Amber Craig
President, NCFOM
Please, if you support access to midwifery care in North Carolina join North Carolina Friends of Midwives! You can learn more about them by going here www.ncfom.org