Planned Parenthood’s open letter to Arizona senators regarding new act

Planned Parenthood's open letter consisting of a new act could make Election Day a federal holiday

Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Today, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona wrote a letter to Arizona's senators calling for them to pass the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act.

The open letter to Arizona Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) spotlights the ties between one's reproductive and voting freedoms.

"Access to abortion is intrinsically connected to access to the ballot box—both give us the ability to make choices for our bodies, lives, and futures," the letter described.

References to Dr. Martin Luther King and Congressman John Lewis were included in the letter to further show the need of passing the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act.

"Rep. John Lewis, his fellow icon of the civil rights movement, shared the understanding that voting rights are the gateway to enjoying all the rights promised by America," the letter explained, "Voting rights was the path to realizing Dr. King's dream."

The act is a landmark comprehensive voting rights legislation that would protect voting rights and access across the country.

If the legislation is passed, it would welcome Election Day as a federal holiday, online and same-day voter registration, restore voting rights to those with felonies, prohibit partisan gerrymandering and much more.