The American public trusts doctors to provide appropriate emergency care in moments of crisis. Our elected officials should, too. But leaders in Idaho and Texas are seeking to undermine that trust.
A 35-year-old federal law requiring hospitals to provide appropriate emergency care is now at the center of some states’ latest chapter to abuse their power. The Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act (EMTALA) provides the foundation for the emergency care safety net. The federal government has issued guidance reminding medical providers of EMTALA and the obligation to provide care in emergency situations that jeopardize a patient’s health and life, including in cases where abortion may be the treatment required to protect a patient.
This week, we were in court on behalf of the nation’s leading medical and health organizations to fight back against attacks on the provision of emergency care for people throughout the country.
Representing America
We provide legal representation and expert counsel to people and communities who make up the fabric of American democracy. Here are some highlights from our latest work.
Update
Holding Government Officials Accountable
Wisconsin’s Assembly undermined the people’s trust in their elections by creating the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) to investigate the 2020 election results. When the OSC’s lead investigator Michael Gableman destroyed records from the investigation – in violation of Wisconsin’s public records retention law – we sued to stop OSC’s flagrant destruction of public records and protect Wisconsinites’ right to know what their government is doing on their behalf.
Update
Combating Censorship in States Across the Country
Governor Ron DeSantis’ “Stop WOKE Act” is the latest effort by right-wing actors in states like Florida to censor how race, gender and inequality are discussed in schools, colleges and workplaces. That includes restricting access to books, violating the freedom to read.
Submitted
Supporting Job Stability for Federal Service Contractors and Efficient Government
Qualified federal service contract workers – from custodians and security guards, to customer service representatives and engineering technicians – can face job insecurity when federal service contracts change over.
In support of a broad coalition including unions, workers’ rights advocates, and disability rights advocates, we weighed in at the Department of Labor in support of the Biden administration’s proposal to restore and enhance protections for these workers so that qualified employees working on the predecessor contract have a right of first refusal of employment under the successor contract.
Stories Worth Following
- Vogue Magazine The Grace and Promise of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson
- POLITICO The Medical Crisis that Finally Convinced Republicans in North Carolina to Expand Medicaid
- The New York Times Reading While Incarcerated Saved Me. So Why Are Prisons Banning Books?
Get Involved
DEADLINE: Voting for SXSW Panels Ends on Sun. August 21
We can turn back the tide against far-right movements in order to save our democracy, but we need your help spreading the word.
Voting is now underway for #SXSW2023 speakers. Our proposed panel – 2023: Democracy Is Worth The Fight – will feature a conversation with Democracy Forward’s Skye Perryman, TX State Rep. Shawn Thierry, and activist Tayhlor Coleman about the fight for democracy’s future in the states and the courts.
Sidebar
LISTEN: President & CEO Skye Perryman Featured on The Electorette Podcast
“In a democracy, people are entitled to understand what their government is doing.”
This month, Skye sat down with The Electorette podcast to discuss our five years of work in defense of democracy, including challenges to abortion bans, censorship, as well as investigating the spread of misinformation by right wing media.