TEXAS FIGHTS BACK!

2013 Annual Report

June 25, 2013 was a day I’ll never forget, just as I’ll never forget the days leading up it or the days that followed. I remember walking out to the middle of the rotunda, looking up at the sea of orange and bursting into tears. That day I was overcome with pride in the people of Texas as we all made history together.

It was absolutely worth the permanent hearing damage

I sustained from standing in the rotunda from 11:45 until

midnight, my whole body vibrating from our voices

rising in unison. On June 25, we learned that one

woman can stand and speak for hours on end without

any breaks, while thousands more watched her, also

forgoing food, water and bathroom visits. On June 25,

we learned that Texans can shake a granite building

when you try to take away our reproductive freedoms.

We all know by now how that turned out: the restrictions

passed as HB2 in a second special session. But we didn’t give

up. Texans continued to fight back. You came to the Capitol

by the thousands, waiting until the wee hours of the night

to testify or to observe the debates. You affirmed my faith

in the power of this movement, a power that had faded, but

is now back in full force. Now we’re going to keep fighting

back, keep building our power for the long road ahead.

Most of the restrictions have already gone into effect, all

but the requirement that clinics turn into “mini-hospitals”

by September 1, 2014. My heart has broken every time

another clinic has been forced to close, every time we see

an entire area of the state lose access to safe, legal abortion

care and every time someone calls our office needing help.

What keeps me going are our supporters, all of you

who keep showing up to events in orange, keep

sending in your membership donations and keep

speaking out. You are the reason I do this work.

You are the ones who make this movement strong.

It’s going to be a long time before we can undo the damage

that’s been done. Now more than ever your support is critical

to our work. We’re in this for the long haul. I’m not going to

give up. I’m going to keep fighting back with you. Thank you

for your continued support of NARAL Pro-Choice Texas!

Heather Busby, Executive Director

NARAL Pro-Choice Texas

TEXAS SHOWED UP! 83RD REGULAR LEGISLATIVE SESSION

JUNE 11: PERRY ADDS ABORTION TO THE SPECIAL SESSION

JUNE 26: PERRY CALLS A SECOND SPECIAL SESSION

JUNE 25: SEN. WENDY DAVIS FILIBUSTERS SB5

JULY 2

House State Affairs hearing: 2,181 register in opposition to HB2.

182,000 PEOPLE watch the filibuster via livestream over the course of 13 HOURS

JULY 8 Senate HHS Committee hearing: 2,082 register in opposition to HB2.

The Orange Shirts are born! The orange mob gather on the Lamar Pedestrian bridge to demand

“NO MORE RESTRICTIONS!”

JUNE 20 Nearly 700 people come out for the People’s Filibuster.

Supporters at the first Senate HHS hearing

We number in the thousands for the House floor debate.

We pack the Capitol to capacity and the people’s

voices defeat the bill!

We fill the Capitol until the very end.

JULY 1 an estimated 7,000 “Unruly Mobsters” come to a noon rally

We successfully keep all anti-choice legislation from the floor of both chambers during the regular session.

WHAT DOES HB2 DO? As a result of the passage of HB 2 in July 2013:

All doctors who perform

abortions must have

admitting privileges at a

hospital within 30 miles.

All abortion clinics must

meet ambulatory surgical

center (“mini-hospital”)

building requirements

by September 2014.

Abortions cannot be

performed after 20

weeks of pregnancy.

Instead of safer, evidence-

based practices for the

abortion pill, doctors are

now forced to follow an

outdated

FDA protocol.

TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:

96 TOTAL VOTES FOR HB2

92 REPUBLICANS 4 DEMOCRATS

49 TOTAL VOTES AGAINST HB2

48 DEMOCRATS 1 REPUBLICAN

TEXAS STATE SENATE:

19 TOTAL VOTES FOR HB2

18 REPUBLICANS 1 DEMOCRAT

11 TOTAL VOTES AGAINST HB2

(ALL DEMOCRATS)

WHAT HAPPENS

TO ACCESS? Throughout 2014, increasing numbers of Texas clinics will

close. At the beginning of 2013, there were 42 open clinics

in our state. As of May 2014, only 22 clinics remain open.

And when HB2’s ambulatory surgical center requirement

goes into effect in September 2014, there will be only six.

MEANWHILE... Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs) — centers

that use manipulative tactics and dispense

misleading information on abortion —

continue to grow with the support of

state lawmakers. Last session the Texas

Legislature increased funding to CPCs

to $5 million of your taxpayer dollars.

WHO’S RESPONSIBLE? Check out our HB 2 Legislative Scorecard to learn more: prochoicetexas.org

JANUARY ‘13:

42 OPEN CLINICS

MAY ‘14:

22 OPEN CLINICS

SEPTEMBER ‘14:

6 OPEN CLINICS

THE FIGHT FOR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS CONTINUES.

2013 WAS A BIG YEAR!

NEW INITIATIVES LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE!

Launched the Next Generation Project, which will train

the next generation of pro-choice leaders in Texas

GETTING OUT INTO THE STATE

NARAL Pro-Choice Texas staff were featured on panels and

at film screenings, events and meetings in Austin, Houston,

Dallas, Denton, Victoria, San Antonio and more!

WE CELEBRATED WITH YOU!

In 2013 we kicked off the year with the Roe v. Wade 40th

anniversary reception in Austin. We also held a meet &

greet in Houston, teamed up with Lilith Fund on an Austin

house party with featured guest Sarah Weddington,

honored our Legislative Counsel Blake Rocap at Men for

Choice, partnered with Lilith Fund and Jane’s Due Process

for pub trivia in Houston and celebrated our pro-choice

stars at a reception in San Antonio. We wrapped up the

year with our signature event, Celebration of Choice, and

a holiday happy hour.

AND WE GREW!

After decades at our offices on Oltorf, NARAL Pro-Choice

Texas got some new digs in 2013. In March, Anna Rubin

joined director Heather Busby on staff as our Online

Communications and Administrative Manager. After

the special sessions, we brought on two more staffers:

Aimee Arrambide and Emily Martin. Emily is now our

Program Director!

We also increased our presence statewide and saw a

50% growth in membership.

Yvonne Morales Pelayo, Heather Busby, Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon, Aimee Arrambide and Emily Martin at San Antonio Stars event

Rep. Mary Gonzalez, Sen. Kirk Watson, Rep. Donna Howard, Rep. Dawnna Dukes

Tammy Kimmelman and Sarah Eckhardt Rep. Jessica Farrar and Rep. Elliott Naishtat

Blake Rocap receives his honorary uterus from Jane’s Due Process director Tina Hester

Susan Hays and Ramey Ko

Lize Burr, Heather Busby, Brittany Yelverton

Board members Yvonne Pelayo, Lillian Ortiz, Melissa Nicholson, Kelli Gill and Lisa Danley-Herring

Rep. Elliott Naishtat congratulates Blake Rocap

DONATE

Set up a recurring gift. As a monthly sustaining

member of Sarah’s Circle, you’ll help protect Texans’

reproductive rights each and every month.

Become a member. Your membership gift of $35

or more will support our hard-hitting political

efforts to preserve reproductive rights.

Leave a pro-choice legacy. Consider adding

NARAL Pro-Choice Texas to your will or living

trust. Call 512-462-1661 for assistance.

ADVOCATE

Attend a training. We offer educational trainings

around the state on pro-choice communication,

activism and community organizing. Check

our website for further details.

Stay up to date. Sign up for email updates, follow

@naraltx and #FightBackTX on Twitter and like

us on Facebook.

Spread the word. Have conversations about

reproductive rights and the importance of political

engagement. Your voice can make a difference.

VOLUNTEER

Help out at a fundraising event. Volunteers make our

events possible – we’re always looking for help with

Men For Choice in the spring and Celebration of Choice

in the fall.

Put in some hours at the office. Administrative

volunteers assist with mailings and other office tasks.

Get out the vote. During the election season, our

volunteers do block walking and phone banking

to help mobilize voters.

YOUR VOICE COUNTS!Here’s how you can do even more.

P.O. BOX 684602 • AUSTIN, TX 78768

512.462.1661 • PROCHOICETEXAS.ORG • FACEBOOK.COM/PROCHOICETEXAS • TWITTER: @NARALTX