Ways to Support the Push to License Georgia Midwives
For the first time in decades, Georgia is considering licensing community midwives who attend homebirths. Every major homebirth midwifery organization supports this licensure because it offers more protection to birthing families and midwives. It could open the door to insurance coverage, eliminate the need for shadow care, and make transferring to the hospital when medically necessary easier and less stressful.
There is powerful opposition to this bill. For it to pass, it needs immense support from Georgia’s families. Please consider committing a little time each week—just 5 or 10 minutes—to lobbying for this bill. Here’s what you can do right now.
Contact Senator Ben Watson
Before legislation can go to a vote, it must first go through the Health and Human Services Committee. Senator Ben Watson is the chair of that committee and has the power to decide which legislation it hears. The only way to make this happen is to contact him and put pressure on him. There are three ways to do this:
Call his office at (404) 656-7880. Leave a message or talk to whoever answers the phone. Keep what you say short. Try, “Hi, I am calling to ask Senator Ben Watson to support Senate Bill 111 by giving it a reading and a hearing. Women in Georgia are dying giving birth, and the science shows this bill could save lives. I will only give my vote to legislators who support this bill.” Consider calling as often as possible—monthly, weekly, or daily, since senators sometimes keep tallies of how many calls they get in support of certain legislation.
Contact him via letter. There is a sample letter here, as well as contact information. Simply fill in the information, print it, and send it.
Contact him via email. Simply cut and paste the text of this sample letter into an email, edit it to share your information, and email to ben.watson@senate.ga.gov.
Contact Your Legislator
Legislators do not yet have the opportunity to vote on SB 111, but they can exert pressure on their colleagues. Find your legislators on this page. Find a sample letter to your legislator here. You can cut and paste this letter into an email, or print it out and mail it. You should also call your legislator using the phone number listed on their page.
Support Organizations Pushing Midwifery Licensure
The Georgia Saves Moms Act is evolving quickly. To get the most up-to-date information, follow the organizations pushing the legislation. The National Association of Certified Professional Midwives offers regular updates here. Citizens for Community Midwives also has advice about how to support the legislation. The Georgia Birth Advocacy Coalition will publish regular updates about where the bill is and how you can support it on our Facebook page and blog.