Pre-Hearing Rally

Pre-Hearing Orientation and Rally 

For HB 226, the Home Birth Safety Act.

March 3, 2009, 1pm

East entrance of the Capitol 

Along S. 2nd St. (by the corner of S. 2nd St. and E. Monroe St.).

Following the rally, we will head inside and lobby our own state representatives (senator is optional), and "be seen on the scene". Be sure to look up who your state rep is at home. We will NOT have a way to look that up for you in Springfield. Visit http://www.elections.il.gov/DistrictLocator/SelectSearchType.aspx?NavLink=1 and click on the By Address tab.

After you find and talk with your state representative, you might wander around, or sit up in the House or Senate gallery if they are in session (or even just go in to see the House and Senate floosr, which are both gorgeous). You also might take a free architectural tour of the capitol; check at the information booth for details

Please bring a letter for Governor Quinn! State that a lack of licensed midwives has been a problem for decades in our state, and all efforts to license midwives have been held up in the Illinois House by organized medicine (or you can name the Illinois State Medial Society, although they have their sub-specialty auxiliary groups working on it now, too). You can choose to go to the governor's office on the second floor to drop it off yourself, or leave it with us, and we will deliver it for you.

The committee hearing will start at 4pm in room 118 of the Capitol. If you are a licensed physician or advanced practice nurse, please be prepared to sign in as a "record or appearance". There are several bills up for consideration before this committee. We do not know the order in which bills will be called, but we hope we will be one of the first. Dr. Minkus will be testifying on behalf of the bill. We have also asked a high-risk OB from Southern Illinois to testify, but he is out of town and has not confirmed.

We are looking for a few people to volunteer as ushers to politely remind anyone whose child is fussing or even talking above a whisper to exit the hearing. We hate to be strict about it, but the hearing is considered a serious matter. Most of the legislators love children, but don't like it if they interrupt a hearing. Anyone who needs to settle a fussy baby or toddler should please respectfully do so out in the hallway. Nursing is your legal right in Illinois, and women openly nurse in the hallways, but, we do ask that you be as modest as possible during the hearing.

(BTW -- I suggest you bring nutritious snacks and bottled water, which can be eaten in the cafeteria and in the hallways but NOT in the House or Senate gallery or hearing room.)

Rally Date confirmed: Tues. Feb. 10, 2009!

Let's get ready to rock the capitol on
Tuesday, February 10, 2009!!!

Please plan to come to Springfield and show our legislature how much we need midwives!

-- Please forward far and wide --

Now is the time to pull out all stops and show your support for home birth in the good ol' USA! Please join us at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois for a very special day.

We have heard from a film maker that they might be interested in filming a large midwifery rally, and wanted to know what our turnout on Feb. 10 would be.

We understand that dates have been bounced around causing last minutes changes over the past few months, but this time, THIS IS IT. We are at the beginning, rather than the end of the session. There is no looming impeachment, and we are confirmed for our date of Tuesday, February 10, 2009, 11 am.

If we can get 100 adults to commit to attending the Mother of All Rallies in the next day -- by 10 am, Wed., Feb 3, 2009 -- perhaps we can take part in this film project!

This year six states are poised to pass legislation, including us. We have the opportunity to be part of a huge surge, and if we hold a big rally in the home state of the American Medical Association, we could make a huge impact not only for our bill, but possibly the entire country.

But we can't do it without you, so please make every effort to attend. You can rsvp by emailing us directly (see emails below) or joining the facebook event at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=38861329499

Colette -- birthnews@earthlink.net (birthnews at earthlink dot net) or
Pat -- colefam@gmail.com (colefam at gmail dot com)

Please immediately invite everyone you know who is supportive of home birth. Now is the time to show legislators how much we need midwives!

THE MOTHER OF ALL RALLIES
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Illinois State Capitol
S 2nd St & E Monroe St
Springfield, IL 62701
11 am - Stratton Building Cafeteria

Plan for the day
11 am - noon Orientation in the Stratton Building Cafeteria.

After orientation - lobby your state representative, state senator, and leave a letter for our new Governor! (We will provide you with materials and instructions)

Fill out your feedback form, and hand it in to our information table off the Rotunda (we will be there until 2:30 pm.)

Enjoy the rest of your day!

Optional debriefing at Gallina Pizza, 432 E Monroe St, Springfield, IL‎ - (217) 522-5271‎, approx. 3:30 pm (time may vary).

Tips for attending a Lobby Day
Yes, by all means, bring your children! Bring quiet toys and activities to amuse your children, and snacks and drinks. Nursing is your legally protected right in Illinois thanks to our General Assembly, so you should encounter no problems with that! :-)

EVERYONE LOVES TREATS -- We recommend you express your feelings with baked goods! Show your love for mothers&midwives, Bring m&m cookies or other baked good (3 wrapped paper plates of cookies -- one each for your rep, your senator and our new governor). If you cannot bring cookies for some reason, please bring a few packs of m&ms Do you really love to bake? Then please helps us by bringing a few extra plates in case there is a district with no constituents. [If you live in the Champaign area, please be aware Sen. Frerichs prefers healthy snacks to candy or cookies.]

You can find the Stratton Building Cafeteria by entering the capitol and asking at the Information Desk, or entering the office building due West of the Capitol.

If driving, bring lots quarters, because the free parking lot usually fills up by 8:15 am. You will most likely end up parking at a metered spot in the streets and have to put several quarters into a meter. Be prepared to walk a few blocks from your parking spot.

Prefer not to drive? You can make it a one day round trip on Amtrack from Chicago, Joliet, Bloomington (and other stops along the way). The Springfield Amtrack Station is only three blocks from the capitol.

When you finish your lobbying, you might enjoy taking a FREE architectural tour of the capitol building. See the million dollar renovations of our gorgeous capitol building.

Watch the Illinois House and/or Senate Floor in the Visitors Galleries.

Especially if you have an extra day, Springfield has many area museums and learning opportunities (most close at 5pm):
• The new Lincoln Presidential Museum
• The Illinois State Museum, a free state natural history museum part of the capitol complex, South of the capitol
• The Springfield Children's Museum, a sweet little museum for young children; 619 E Washington St, Springfield, IL‎ - (217) 789-0679‎
• Lincoln's Home (with tours an opportnity to earn a Jr. Rangers badge)
• Lincoln's Tomb (a little outside of town at Oak Ridge Cemetery; automobile needed; call ahead to ask for hours 217-782-1717)

First aid -- Need a band aid, aspirin or cough drop? Visit first aid in both the Stratton Building and the Capitol (ask a guard or at the Information Desk for directions).

Most of all, bring your desire to see midwives licensed!

Hope to see you there,
Colette

Things looking good for midwifery licensure

Members of the Illinois General Assembly are starting to see the advantages of licensing midwives. This is very good for us. We are continuing to work on our plan for January 12 and 13, and we look forward to rallying with dozens of home birth supporters.

Can we make that hundreds?

Please pass on the news and importance of this rally. We need this to be the largest yet! Try your best to attend and invite everyone you know who is supportive of home birth!

Thank you for all your past support, and let's take this all the way!

Help make Illinois the 25th state to legally recognize certified professional midwives!

ATTEND THE MOTHER OF ALL RALLIES
for home birth midwives
Show the AMA & ACOG who's in charge of your baby's birth
Come to the Illinois Capitol Jan 12 or 13, 2009

(use search terms S. 2nd St. and E. Monroe St., Springfield, IL 62701 and bring quarters for the parking meters, or walk just 3 short blocks from the Amtrak train station!)

Recent developments have made passage of a bill to license certified professional midwives in Illinois more likely than ever before! 

We are holding a two-day rally to show Illinois legislators that we need midwives, and we need them now. Please invite everyone you know. Come one day or both. Bring your children, your babies, your sister, and your friend. Just be there -- to make history!

**Before you leave for the rally, visit Legislator Lookup to find your state representative, so you can lobby your state representative.**

Hope to see you there!

Attend the Mother of all Rallies! POSTPONED TO EARLY FEBRUARY 2009

Show the American Medical Association who's in charge of your baby's birth! Stand up for home birth midwives in the AMA's home state, and rally in support of the first legislation to be voted on since the AMA passed their resolution to try to outlaw home birth and push back hard against midwife licensure bills.

THE MOTHER OF ALL RALLIES

for home birth midwives
Show the AMA & ACOG who's in charge of your baby's birth
Come to the Illinois Capitol Jan 12 or 13 IN EARLY FEBRUARY 2009 (check back for exact date)

(use search terms S. 2nd St. and E. Monroe St., Springfield, IL 62701 and bring quarters for the parking meters, or walk just 3 short blocks from the Amtrak train station!)

THIS JUST IN ...
Today we received a report from our lobbyist that our sponsors have determined it will be best to try to pass our bill to licensed certified professional midwives in Illinois, on the last two day of session, January 12 & 13.

We are holding a two-day rally to show legislators that we need midwives, and we need them now. Please invite everyone you know. Bring your children, your babies, your sister, and your friend. Just be there -- to make history!

If you live in anywhere in the midwest, you can make a huge difference in stopping organized medicine from blocking midwife licensure bills. This is your chance, no matter who you are, to show your support for home birth by helping the toughest state in the entire country to pass a CPM licensure law! We have the chance to set a precedent in the country, this first year after the AMA officially vowed to stop midwives. DON'T LET THE AMA HAVE THEIR WAY! COME SHOW YOUR SOLIDARITY WITH YOUR HOME BIRTH SISTERS!

A LITTLE HISTORY ...
In approximately the past ten years, the home state of the American Medical Association, Illinois, has LOST MORE THAN 25 HOME BIRTH PRACTICES. We are in desperate need of safe, legal access to home birth midwives.

After after three years of very intense work and negotiations, Illinois is THE FIRST STATE EVER to come to terms with the state's nursing groups.

Now that the nurses have dropped all their opposition, we have the best chance, literally, in history to pass a bill, but we can't count our chickens before they hatch! And that's why WE NEED YOU!!! No matter the weather, take a day out of your life to show our lawmakers that midwives matter!

SHE WAS THERE FOR YOU ...
When you were pregnant, your midwife was there for you. She was available and patient and there for your baby's birth. Now it's your chance (even if your "baby" is now grown) to show the AMA and legislators that licensing certified professional midwives is the right thing to do!

We are going to keep the rally simple. Just be there. You will see us wearing the black "got midwife?" pins. If you're from Illinois, we will help you find and meet with your state representative, and if you're form another state, your presence can really help show the whole nation that home birth is a necessary option, and legal access to home birth midwives should every woman's, baby's and family's right!

We would like to extend a special invitation to our plain clothes friends, but no matter what kind of clothes you wear, we need you. We need everybody to show Springfield how important this bill is!

Stay tuned for more details, and please plan to be part of this truly historic moment, and show your support for home birth!

See you there!