The Black Women's Health Imperative's 2022 Midterm Elections Voter Education & Issues Guide

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Linda Goler Blount, MPH

President & CEO

Black Women’s Health Imperative

PREPARED BY

Michelle Webb, MBA Chief Marketing & Communications Officer

Alanna Murrell Special Projects Manager

CONTRIBUTORS

WRITER Michelle Webb

RESEARCHERS

Alanna Murrell Leah Chambers

PROOFREADER Laura J Nadel

DESIGN/LAYOUT Dana Magsumbol

REPRO WEBSITE & MAP

Danielle Forsythe

ARTWORK When We All Vote

“Black women have navigated oppression in America for centuries. Our humanity, our safety, and our rights are devalued in the workplace, doctor’s offices, classrooms, and our own neighborhoods. Yet, nothing can break our souls.”

Linda Goler Blount, MPH President & CEO

Black Women’s Health Imperative

Where Does Your Candidate Stand on the Issues?

Black Women Vote: Special Edition

They Can’t Break Our Souls!

The Black Women’s Health Imperative’s

September 2022

To our valued friends & supporters,

For many Black women, 2022 has been one of the most soul-challenging years in recent history . Each day has brought about new hindrances to the sustainability and progression of our community A seemingly endless pandemic and the shocking reversal of federal protections of our right to access safe abortions have occurred alongside historically high gas prices, food insecurities due to supply chain issues, increasingly high interest rates, rising inflation rates, poor water infrastructure due to zoning and access to clean water funding, and ever-present economic uncertainties All of which seem to target our most vulnerable in the greatest capacity While the physical, mental, emotional, and economic toll is immense—and all too familiar—this November, we can make our voices heard at the polls as we vote in those who are invested in the survival of our communities, and vote out those who seem to be working against us

As our President & CEO, Linda Goler Blount, MPH, has said before, “Black women have navigated oppression in America for centuries Our humanity, our safety, and our rights are devalued in the workplace, doctor’s offices, classrooms, and our own neighborhoods .”

Racially motivated violence, as seen in Buffalo, New York; Southern California; and more recently against the students and teachers at Robb Elementary School in Texas have heartbreakingly proved that there is an urgent need for change, in and across every system

At the Black Women’s Health Imperative (BWHI), our stated mission is to lead the effort to solve the most pressing health issues that affect Black women and girls in the U .S . Through research and evidence-based strategies, we deliver bold new programs and advocate for health-promoting policies within the workplace

In line with that mission, and with the 2022 midterms approaching, BWHI is releasing its new midterms voter’s

guide: They Can’t Break Our Souls! The Black Women’s Health Imperative’s 2022 Midterm Elections: Voter Education & Issues Guide

This guide will provide information on policymakers who are up for national and state elections in your respective areas This information will also coincide with those who represent the issues and policy pillars we, at BWHI, have championed over our nearly 40 years of existence

We are also re-releasing an update of our Black Women Vote: National Health Policy Agenda, which aims to provide Black women with a blueprint for change, and deliver a call to action for policymakers, practitioners, academics, and community leaders . You can download a copy here: Black Women Vote: The 2020-2021 National Health Policy Agenda

This election will be one like no other and will send a clear message about the future of our country Just this month, Senate Republicans introduced a national bill to ban all late-term abortions usually done in emergency rooms to save the life of the mother These types of legislative assaults on our rights to live healthy and productive rights will be on the ballot across the country this midterm season

Black women must rise up and take the lead in setting the country’s direction, as we have historically done so many times before With our very bodily autonomy at the center of this current political climate, it is time to do what needs to be done It is our moment to be the heroes of our own story

Join us in achieving our vision for all Black women to enjoy optimal health in a society that promotes health equity and social justice by registering, representing, and exercising your right to vote Yours can be the one that makes all the difference .

2022 Midterm Elections: Voter Education

Why It Matters

Your Vote Matters More Than Ever

In collaboration with the non-profit organization When We All Vote, BWHI has launched a voter registration drive campaign in advance of the 2022 Midterm Elections taking place on November 8th When We All Vote is a leading national, nonpartisan initiative on a mission to change the culture around voting and to increase participation in each and every election by helping to close the race and age gap Endorsed by former First Lady Michelle Obama, When We All Vote brings together individuals, institutions, brands, and organizations to register new voters across the country and advance civic education for voters of every age to build an informed and engaged electorate for today and generations to come .

In our partnership, we have joined together and to raise awareness by having a dedicated voter registration portal. We invite you all to check your registration status at: https://weall.vote/bwhivotes

The following states have issues on the ballot regarding our reproductive rights:

California Nov. 8 Proposition 1

Kentucky Nov. 8 Amendment 2

Michigan Nov. 8 Initiative

Montana Nov. 8 LR-131

• Amend the California Constitution to provide that the state cannot “deny or interfere with an individual’s reproductive freedom in their most intimate decisions,” including decisions to have an abortion or to choose or refuse contraceptives

• Amend the Kentucky Constitution to state that nothing in the state constitution creates a right to abortion or requires government funding of abortions

• Amend the Michigan Constitution to provide a state constitutional right to reproductive freedom, defined to include abortion, contraception, and other matters related to pregnancy

• Provide in state law that infants born alive at any stage of development are legal persons

• Require medical care to be provided to infants born alive after an induced labor, Cesarean section, attempted abortion, or other method

Vermont Nov. 8 Amendment

• Amend the Vermont Constitution to provide a state constitutional right to personal reproductive autonomy

Source:

These are the states with the most recent abortion measures on their ballot in 2022, the most on record for a single year in history

Source: When We All Vote

States Where Abortion is Legal or Banned

Currently, 14 states have full abortion bans, 1 state has a 6-week ban, and 3 states have 15-, 18-, or 20-week bans

What’s on the Ballot this Year?

When We All

TAKE ACTION!

Check voter ID requirements by state: vote.org/voter-id-laws/

Register online: vote.civicnation.org/register/ bwhivotes/

Know Your Rights!

• If you’re in line before poll closing time, stay in line – you have the right to vote.

• If you make a mistake on your ballot, ask for a new one.

• If the machines are not working at your polling place, ask for a paper ballot.

• If your citizenship, criminal record, or other qualifications are questioned, immediately call the Election Protection Hotline where trained volunteers aree available to help

If you run into any problems or have questions before or on Election Day, call the Election Protection Hotline:

English: 866-0UR-VOTE / 866-687-8683

Spanish: 888-VE-Y-VOTA / 888-839-8682

Arabic: 844-YALLA-US / 844-925-5287

For Bengali, Cantonese, Hindi, Urdu, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog, or Vietnamese: 888-AP-VOTE/ 888-274-8683

Important Dates to Remember

Where Does Your Candidate Stand on the Issues?

Pillar I: Access to Quality and Affordable Health Care

Reproductive Rights and Abortion Access Abortion

Yes w No w

Supports preservation and improvement upon the Affordable Care Act to ensure millions of Americans retain access to affordable, quality health care Opposes repeal and replace efforts of the ACA

Medicaid and Medicare

Yes w No w

Supports Medicaid expansion in all 50 states and the protection of Medicaid and Medicare as safety net programs with no harmful waivers such as work requirements, premiums, or time limits

Access to Affordable Medicine and Biosimilars

Yes w No w

Supports access to affordable life-saving drugs, including biosimilars, and policies that give biosimilars an opportunity to provide competition in the market

Access to High-Quality Maternal and Infant Health Resources

Yes w No w

Supports access to patient-centered prenatal, maternity, and postpartum care that is affordable, high-quality, respectful, culturally competent, and safe, to ensure Black women have healthy pregnancies and healthy children

Title X Family Planning

Yes w No w

Supports the preservation of women’s preventive services coverage under Title X by fully funding eligible Title X program providers regardless of abortion practices or belief

Access to Affordable Contraceptives

Yes w No w

Supports access to affordable contraceptives through the maintenance of the ACA’s contraceptive coverage benefit with no religious or moral exemptions, as well as support of the Protect Access to Birth Control Act

Comprehensive Sex Education

Yes w No w

Opposes federal funding for harmful sexual risk-avoidance education programs Opposes federal funding of programs that are insensitive and unresponsive to the needs of LGBTQ youth Supports legislation and policies that encourage health education programs and provide lifesaving information about sex-related topics including HIV

Menstrual Equity

Yes w No w

Supports funding to provide menstrual hygiene products for homeless individuals and increase the affordability of menstrual hygiene products for individuals with limited access

Uterine Fibroids

Yes w No w

Supports legislation improving research and education on uterine fibroids, as well as research into treatment alternatives for fibroids Supports increased funding and research of the effects of stress and racism on reproductive health . Supports improved screening methods for patients, such as questions about pelvic pain Supports investment in innovative technologies to measure pain and provide alternatives to surgical solutions

Menopause

Yes w No w

Supports research into menopause, particularly in regard to its impact, early onset, and heightened symptoms experienced by Black women

Access to Cancer Prevention, Screening, and Treatment Services

Yes w No w

Supports and recommends the elimination of annual deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance payments (“cost sharing”) for all screening mammograms, including those provided to women more frequently than current federal screening guidelines, such as annual mammograms for women starting at age 40

Supports the elimination of cost sharing for diagnostic imaging for breast cancer, including diagnostic mammograms, breast ultrasounds, and breast MRIs

Supports the full coverage of 3D mammography without copays, coinsurance, or deductibles

*Black women in need of screenings beyond standard mammograms should not have to pay any additional out-ofpocket expenses for these screening and diagnostic tests

Cervical Cancer

Yes w No w

Supports co-testing—combining the Pap test and HPV test—as the preferred screening option Supports legislation that increases federal funding for early detection programs Supports studying the efficacy of self-screening HPV tests Supports including Black women in clinical trials

Obesity

Yes w No w

Supports policy solutions that prevent obesity by expanding access to nutrition support programs and creating more opportunities for people to be physically active

Rare Disease

Yes w No w

Supports the protections of the Affordable Care Act, including preventing insurance companies from discriminating against individuals who have rare diseases Insurance should cover telehealth visits for people with rare conditions to obtain access to experts .

Breast Cancer

Yes w No w

Supports the elimination of annual deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance payments (“cost sharing”) for all screening mammograms, such as annual mammograms for women starting at age 40 Supports the full coverage of 3D mammogram screening and diagnostic tests without copays, coinsurance, or deductibles

Cardiovascular Health

Yes w No w

Supports increased access to preventive care and affordable cardiovascular medicines and medical devices, and funding for culturally tailored campaigns and programs that educate and assist Black women in reducing their risk of heart disease

Diabetes

Yes w No w

Supports increased funding for awareness programming and public education initiatives about the prevalence of prediabetes and how to prevent type 2 diabetes, and increased benefit coverage for diabetes prevention

HIV/AIDS

Where Does Your Candidate Stand on the Issues?

Yes w No w

Supports increased access to services for HIV prevention, including access to PrEP prescriptions and funding for PrEP public education campaigns and programs tailored to Black women and girls

Mental Health

Yes w No w

Supports access to affordable mental health services for Black women Supports increased diversity, equity, and inclusion in the mental health profession through minority pipeline programs and cultural competence training

Sickle Cell Disease

Yes w No w

Supports continued coverage of sickle cell disease treatment under Medicaid and Medicare Supports research on sickle cell disease prevalence, delivery of care, and health outcomes for Black women and girls

Epilepsy

Yes w No w

Supports developing community-based programs for people with epilepsy, eradicating stigma and discrimination related to epilepsy, and protecting access to medications and treatments to control seizures

Supports access to quality, affordable, physician-directed, and patient-centered care for people with epilepsy

Pillar II: Equitable Responses to Public Health Emergencies

COVID-19

Yes w No w

Recommends additional resources and benefits to Black communities for COVID-19 impact . Supports direct payments to individuals and paycheck protection-type programs

Environmental Health and Environmental Justice Access to Clean Water

Yes w No w

Supports access to safe, clean water through policies that increase funding for our nation’s water infrastructure needs; prioritize nature-based solutions; uphold environmental, health, and safety standards; and make water affordable for everyone

Climate Change and Pregnancy

Yes w No w

Supports legislation that fights to mitigate climate change and highlights the direct effect this crisis has on women of color

Tobacco

Yes w No w

Supports legislation that bolsters lung health and curtails youth tobacco use Includes e-cigarettes in tobacco product regulation Devotes funding to cessation of menthol-flavored tobacco products

Opioid Crisis

Yes w No w

Supports and recommends funding for minorityled organization programs, initiatives, and awareness campaigns that debunk myths and fight stigma about the opioid crisis in Black communities; continued coverage of Suboxone treatment by Medicaid and Medicare; additional appropriations bill for CDC, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA), and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to address opioids and incorporate a strong enforcement strategy for opioid-related public health initiatives; and maintenance of the Office of National Drug Control Policy

Gun Violence

Yes w No w

Supports and recommends federal policies that include common sense restrictions on the ownership and purchase of guns

Incarceration and Money Bail Yes w No w

Supports and recommends ending money bail; ending the policy of shackling incarcerated pregnant women; legislation that requires investigation into the for-profit bail industry; ongoing oversight; and investment into alternatives to money bail, such as avoiding detention through citations, pre- or post-charge diversion, earlier hearings, and automated phone and text messages .

Pillar III: Sufficient Diversity in Clinical Trials and Health Care Delivery Systems

Diversity in Clinical Trials

Yes w No w

Supports inclusion of Black women in clinical trials to better inform research and understand health disparities including higher incidence and mortality rates from chronic conditions

Diversity in the Workforce

Yes w No w

Support diverse leadership of health professionals in educational institutions and hospital and culturally competent training into the licensure and accreditation training of physicians, nurses, and other health professionals

Diversity in Tech

Yes w No w

Support enhanced access to 3D technology, programs, and initiatives to increase the number of Black women in tech and startups with investment funding

Where Does Your Candidate Stand on the Issues?

Pillar IV: Increased Funding to Support HBCUs

Funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Yes w No w

Support an increase in funding for HBCU and minorityserving institutions in the federal budget

Black Girls and School Discipline Policies Yes w No w

Recommends policies and resources to support young Black school-aged girls Supports culturally competent educational policies and the enforcement of fair disciplinary actions for all students, including policies that reduce suspension and expulsion among students, specifically students of color

Gender-Based Violence Against Black Women on Campus

Yes w No w

Supports and recommends the reauthorization of funding for the Violence Against Women Act, the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, and the Victims of Crimes Act, along with anti-gender-discrimination policy and campus sexual violence policy enforcement such as Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 on college campuses

Implicit Bias

Yes w No w

Supports patient-centered, values-based implicit bias training that incorporates the lived experiences of Black women during their pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care Support scientific review of interventions and policies related to implicit bias and racism in maternal care and delivery of health services to women of color

Pillar V: Social Justice and Equality

Equal Pay

Yes w No w

Supports legal protections that prohibit sex-based discrimination in compensation, including the Equal Pay Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and Executive Order 11246

Police Violence

Yes w No w

Supports policy solutions to police violence, including the redistribution of excessive police funding to social services programming

Sexual Assualt

Yes w No w

Supports policy solutions to protect victims of sexual assult

Incarceration

Yes w No w

Supports more equitable sentencing Supports adequate, high-quality health care for incarcerated women

I Am an RJ Voter – In Our Own Voice Coalition

In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda is a national-state partnership focused on lifting up the voices of Black women leaders at the national and regional levels in our fight to secure reproductive justice for all women, femmes, and girls Its eight strategic partners are Black Women for Wellness; New Voices for Reproductive Justice; SisterLove, Inc.; SisterReach; SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW; The Afiya Center; Women With A Vision; and the Black Women’s Health Imperative Collectively, we work to support reproductive justice voters.

WE ARE REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE VOTERS.

Take the pledge to protect Black women’s bodily autonomy today. And pass this card on to other Black women to take the Reproductive Justice pledge.

Black women and birthing people WON’T STAND BY AND ALLOW OUR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS TO BE TAKEN AWAY.

Read the full pledge and sign by visiting: blackrj.org/blackrjpledge And pass this card on to other Black women to take the Reproductive Justice pledge.

As we face an attack on our basic human right to bodily autonomy and abortion by a conservative, activist Supreme Court, we implore Black women’s organizations and Black individuals to join In Our Own Voices to make it clear: we refuse to let you take away reproductive rights.

We are asking all Reproductive Justice voters like you to pledge to do everything in our power to ensure all Black women and birthing people have the freedom, resources, and power they need to assert agency over their own bodies and ensure that their families can thrive.

We know that we win the battle for civil rights when we listen to and trust Black women. Let’s join together now to protect our rights.

BlackWomensRJ Blackwomen.vote

Join BWHI!

For Black women, reproductive health (Repro) advocacy ensures complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease in all matters relating to the reproductive system . Reproductive rights center on maintaining or protecting the legal right to contraception, abortion, fertility treatment, and reproductive health . To help provide Black women the critical information they need to fight for their own reproductive justice, we also invite you to visit our https://reprojustice.bwhi.org resource page

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