Making headway?

After the committee hearing in the Utah senate last Thursday, I was a little disturbed by some of the misinformation that was being shared regarding this bill. So, I decided to go out on a limb and write an email to the senator that was chairing the committee to address some of that misinformation. The committee chair that day is one of the senators that is a definite 'yes' vote already so I figured that I couldn't do much damage by trying to contact him. My email basically said that contrary to what was said at the committee meeting, this bill will affect ALL homebirth midwives, not just the ones that are licensed by the state. He specifically asked the bill sponsor at the committee meeting if this bill will affect the "lay" midwives in the state to which she answered that it will not - it will only affect those that are licensed. If you read the actual law that is in place already and how this bill will change that law, it is clear that the bill that is proposed is changing the definition of the practice of direct-entry midwifery which will affect ALL midwives. I even sited to him where in the law that is stated.

Well, I was actually surprised when I got a response from this senator on Sunday evening. (I haven't even gotten an answer from my own senator whom I emailed on Wednesday...) I could tell by this senator's response to me that he hadn't even read my email, or if he did that he just skimmed through it. So, I decided to email him back and state very clearly that a "lay" midwife IS a direct-entry midwife and that this bill will affect all of the direct-entry midwives in the state, not just the licensed ones. I wrote a very nice letter to him and said that I felt that it was important that he understand this point, regardless of whether or not it changes his vote. I also thanked him for his time in reading my email.

Not 15 minutes after I sent off that email, he emailed me back and said that he would check into it and "Thanks for the heads-up."

So, even if it doesn't end up changing his vote, I hope that he does look into it and will pass the word along. Maybe then more of the legislators will understand the concerns that the midwives and homebirthers have.