Last month, the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, stripping half the U.S. population of the right to bodily autonomy and self-determination. Even though the right to abortion is safe in Rhode Island, there’s urgent work we must do to make reproductive freedom a reality in our state.

Will you write a letter to your elected representatives asking them to convene a special session and vote on the Equality in Abortion Coverage Act, to make abortion care accessible to all Rhode Islanders?

Rhode Island is one of only a handful of blue states nationwide where Medicaid funds are barred from covering abortion. (Other state-funded insurance programs, like the plans that cover public sector workers, are also prohibited from paying for abortions.) In practice, this means that abortion care can be devastatingly expensive, or out of reach altogether, for those who are already struggling to make ends meet. The Women’s Health and Education Fund has calculated that the average cost of an abortion in Rhode Island is $700, and 41% of the people having abortions in the state are uninsured or insured by Medicaid, meaning they are required to pay out of pocket for care.

To ensure that abortion is not only legal but accessible in our state, we need to pass the Equality in Abortion Coverage Act, which would eliminate the policies preventing both the state Medicaid program and the health plan used by state employees from covering abortion care. That’s why Reclaim RI is joining the Campaign for Equal Abortion Coverage, led by The Womxn Project, and calling on House Speaker Joe Shekarchi and Senate President Dominick Ruggerio to come back for a special session to vote on the EACA. Governor Dan McKee, who recently issued an executive order protecting the right to abortion in Rhode Island, has already committed to signing the EACA when it reaches his desk. Speaker Shekarchi has expressed his support for abortion rights and said that he sees returning to vote as a possibility.

Now is the time to impress upon our representatives that passing the EACA is a top priority, and one that can’t wait until the next legislative session. We’re asking you to use this form to send a letter to your representatives. We encourage you to put your message in you own words. It’s incredibly easy, and it only takes 30 seconds.

In this era of right-wing reaction, we need to build power for the people in Rhode Island. Together, we can make our state a safe haven for reproductive freedom.