A frustrating veto will not stop my efforts to protect access to birth control for Alaskans.
The Governor vetoed House Bill 17 to allow health insurance coverage for up to 12 months of birth control. I will continue working to get this legislation passed and enacted into law.
My colleague Representative Ashley Carrick and I worked together to build strong tripartisan support for House Bill 17, which required insurance companies to allow prescribers the option of providing up to 12 months of birth control to patients. Rep. Carrick sponsored HB 17 in the House and I sponsored a companion bill in the Senate.
During a lengthy legislative process, we heard from cannery workers and those working in commercial fishing about how increasing access to their prescribed medication would benefit them.
We also heard from researchers on how perpetrators use reproductive control to hurt their partners and how this bill would help protect victims of interpersonal and domestic violence.
We heard from everyday Alaskans who simply needed better access to their birth control.
We worked with insurance providers and doubters, answering questions and clarifying exemptions.
We addressed issues and found common ground.
The bill passed the Legislature with overwhelming support. (16-3 in the Senate and 26-13 in the House)
I am deeply disappointed in the veto of House Bill 17 and I worry about the increasing difficulty folks are experiencing as pharmacies close, postal service delays increase, and major weather events prevent people from accessing their prescribed medications.
This is not the end. Instead, it is a moment to reflect on the advocacy and work on common sense policies that help Alaskans.
Thank you to former State Senator Berta Gardner and Senator Matt Claman for championing this issue and their early work on the legislation that turned into HB 17.
Thank you to everyone who testified in support of the bill and who led the efforts to pass House Bill 17. Despite the Governor’s veto, I will continue working with Rep. Carrick and others to get this common-sense legislation passed and enacted into law.
Learn more about HB 17 and the birth control issue by listening to The Empty Office Podcast.
The March 31st edition of The Empty Office Podcast featured a great conversation about the ongoing effort to pass legislation to require insurance companies to cover 12 months of contraceptive services in Alaska. This requirement is important in a state with limited access to pharmacies and health clinics.
The podcast was recorded on March 12 shortly after a hearing for Senate Bill 27 in the Senate Health and Social Services Committee. I was joined by Rep. Carrick, who sponsored HB 17, and two experts who testified about the issue of expanding access to insurance coverage for contraception. Dr. Robin Holmes is a clinical provider in Homer and Dr. Ingrid Johnson is the Associate Director of the Alaska Justice Information Center.
You can listen to the podcast about HB 17 and the 12-month birth control issue on Substack, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. I would also recommend watching the great hearing we held for SB 27 in the Senate Health and Social Services Committee. During that hearing, Dr. Holmes and Dr. Johnson made a compelling case for allowing people to have expanded access to birth control for health and safety reasons. The hearing also featured some amazing public testimony from Alaskans telling their stories about the importance of having consistent and reliable access to birth control.
