Pro-Choice advocates rally at Nevada State Legislature in Carson City for the ‘Trust Nevada Women Act'

More than 100 people joined NARAL Pro-Choice Nevada (National Abortion Rights Action League) in a rally Tuesday at the Nevada State Legislature to support Senate Bill 179, also called the “Trust Nevada Women Act.” In a time when abortion is being outlawed in several states around the country, Nevada instead went in the opposite direction with SB 179, securing a woman’s right to choose.

NARAL Pro-Choice Nevada provided the following statement regarding the rally held Tuesday:

As thousands of people across the country call for protecting reproductive freedom, the Nevada Assembly made the state a leader, voting overwhelmingly in favor of upholding the reproductive rights of Nevadans and passing the Trust Nevada Women Act (TNWA), SB 179. The TNWA, which passed the Assembly by a 27-to-13 margin, now heads to the Senate for a final procedural vote, then to Governor Sisolak's desk to be signed. The bill is one of the most progressive and forward-thinking pieces of legislation on reproductive freedom debated or passed this legislative session across the country.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Yvanna Cancela, will remove antiquated abortion restrictions and bring Nevada law in line with Nevadans’ overwhelmingly pro-choice values. NARAL, along with hundreds of activists from across the state, led the fight to pass the TNWA and advocated for the 83% of Nevadans who want abortion to be safe, legal, and free from government interference.

The TNWA has garnered widespread support, passing the Senate with bipartisan backing. Nevada’s Lieutenant Governor Kate Marshall and Attorney General Aaron Ford both issued public statements praising this groundbreaking legislation and underscoring its importance.

“Throughout this legislative session, NARAL and our over 45,000 battle-born members fiercely and tirelessly fought for the passage of the Trust Nevada Women Act,” said NARAL Pro-Choice Nevada State Director Caroline Mello Roberson. “With our reproductive rights under constant attack across the country, we are proud that Nevada legislators voted to ensure that Nevada women and families are able to make the best decisions for their health and well-being, along with their doctors. While we celebrate this win today, we know our work continues. We will continue fighting for the rights and dignity of every person in the Silver State.”

NARAL and its thousands of members proudly led the push for the TNWA, hosting weekly phone banking events in Reno and Las Vegas, testifying on behalf of the bill, and creating the need for multiple overflow rooms at each of the bill’s public hearings. NARAL members also embarked on four “Feminist Road Trips” to the capitol in Carson City throughout the legislative session. In a recent op-ed in the Las Vegas Sun, NARAL Nevada State Director Caroline Mello Roberson explained how essential the TNWA is to improving the health and well-being of Nevada women and families.

In 2018, voters sent a clear rebuke to the Trump/Republican agenda, electing a Democratic supermajority in the legislature. Nevada also elected its first Democratic Governor since 1999, is now represented by two female Senators, and secured the first majority women legislature in the country, with a pro-choice majority in the State legislature and a supermajority in the House.

In 2016, NARAL members were a part of the successful coalition that flipped the Nevada State legislature from anti-choice to pro-choice control. As a result, the 2017 legislative session saw the first bill in more than 18 years to protect and expand access to affordable birth control for all Nevadans. NARAL members have continued to build on that work during the 2019 legislative session and are heading into the 2020 election cycle with the wind at their backs.