In the states…
The 6-week abortion ban in Florida passed the Senate today. The law will be a disaster for women in the South, where the state—even with its current 15-week restriction—has been a safe haven for out-of-state abortion patients. The ban claims to have rape and incest exceptions (it really doesn’t), and will criminalize anyone who “actively participates” in an abortion—language so vague that someone who drove a friend to an abortion could be charged. For more information on the bill and what it will mean for the state, check out my interview with Florida Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book or watch her speak below:
Anti-abortion activists in Ohio continue their efforts to quash a pro-choice ballot measure on its way to voters in November. The Boston Globe also spoke to some of the activists gathering signatures for the measure. For more information on the proposal and how to help, click here.
Voters in Kentucky sent a clear message on abortion in November when they defeated an anti-abortion ballot measure, but Republican lawmakers still refuse to budge on the issue—claiming that the vote didn’t really mean anything. Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer says, “I saw it more as the opposing campaign ran a better campaign that scared people into voting ‘no.’” Just another reminder that anti-abortion legislators do not care what voters want.
Conservatives also don’t much care what the courts say. Consider Montana, where abortion rights are protected in the state constitution but lawmakers are trying to pass legislation to limit it anyway. From the Missoula Current:
“Now, lawmakers will soon have their final debates on three bills that would limit access to abortion in three main ways: by limiting Medicaid payments for abortions, by criminalizing abortion except in the case of medical necessity and by excluding abortion from Montanans’ right to privacy as it’s protected in the Montana constitution.”
Also keep in mind that Montana Republicans are trying to pass legislation that would put an end to state Supreme Court elections, instead allowing the (very anti-abortion) governor to appoint justices.
Meanwhile, pro-choice activists in Wisconsin have been rallying ahead of the state Supreme Court election:
The Washington Post has more on the race (which has seen a record amount of fundraising), and what it will mean for abortion rights. Democrats are feeling confident given the record turnout. Chairman of the state Democratic Party, Ben Wikler, says, “Once a voter hears about the stakes and the immediacy of its impacts on abortion in Wisconsin, voters commit to voting on the spot and start thinking about who else they can convince to cast a ballot.”
Legal experts say that the ‘abortion trafficking’ bill In Idaho, which is set to be signed by the governor, could make it illegal for abortion funds in other states to help teenagers with logistics or funding to get an abortion. Alizeh Bhojani, a lawyer with the group Legal Voice, told The Seattle Times that they’re warning abortion providers and organizers that Idaho’s Attorney General is broadly interpreting the law. And so a Washington-based provider who books a teen’s appointment could be breaking Idaho law, as could an abortion fund that covers that teens’ travel expenses. The good news is that Washington Democrats (and legislators in other pro-choice states) are working to enact protections that will shield doctors and activists from out-of-state prosecutions.
In Missouri, a group of doctors argues in the Springfield News-Leader that lawmakers should repeal the state’s abortion ban:
“A government that takes away the freedom of people to access critical medical care that directly leads to the illness and death of countless people and threatens healthcare providers with criminal penalties for upholding their professional obligations is un-American.”
Finally, this is just brutal news out of Indiana. Late last year, I told you about a professor at Notre Dame who was being harassed after posing a sign on her office door offering students confidential information on where they could find healthcare. Today, The Cut has Professor Tamara Kay’s story, and the absolutely horrific threats she’s been on the receiving end of these last few months: From notes telling her to drop dead and “resign, demon,” to her house being vandalized. It’s a shocking article, but I’m so glad to see it get written. We’re in a moment when teachers and professors are being attacked on all fronts, especially around issues like abortion and LGBTQ rights—and it’s terrifying. The very least we can do is make sure to shine a light on their reality.
Quick hits:
Democrats in Delaware want to pass legislation requiring insurers, including Medicaid, to cover abortion costs;
An Illinois bill that would ban deceptive advertising practices from anti-abortion centers continues to advance;
And while some towns in pro-choice states are trying to make it harder for abortion clinics to open, officials in Alexandria, Virginia, want to ease zoning requirements for abortion clinics.
In the nation…
As we wait for the ruling to come down on abortion medication from Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, The New York Times has published an article and interactive on the safety of the pills. You can guess what they found—abortion medication is incredibly safe, and all the research bears that out. The article also points out that of the five studies anti-abortion groups are using to make the case that the pills are dangerous, two of them were done by the radically anti-abortion organization, the Charlotte Lozier Institute. (Which is part of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America!)
The other three studies are from researchers in Finland, who say that the groups are deliberately misinterpreting their data. Dr. Oskari Heikinheimo says, “If you just pick the results that you personally like, then that’s pure nonsense.” Essentially, their research found that 20% of patients who used abortion medication followed up with a doctor—most often because of bleeding, which is not unusual! Women often don’t realize how much they’re meant to bleed during the process, get concerned, and visit their doctors. That doesn’t mean that there were any complications. In fact, the study comes to the conclusion that complications are very rare and that the pills are safe! (Serious complications happen in less than 1% of women who use the medication.)
American women are increasingly seeking out help—and abortion medication—from Mexican reproductive rights groups. Veronica Cruz of Las Libres says, “In January 2022, we had an average of 10 cases every day. When Roe was overturned, in June, we had up to a hundred.” The groups are primarily run by volunteers who are doing the work on their own time. Marcela Castro at Marea Verde Chihuahua says, “We are ordinary women working for reproductive justice.”
You can find out more about the groups and their “acompañamiento” model of organizing below:
Since Roe was overturned, the demand for contraception and emergency contraception has risen dramatically. In response, one maker of the morning-after-pill is ramping up their availability in drugstores and offering a package of two pills instead of just the usual one. Amanda E/J Morrison, cofounder of the start-up Julie, said, “With the two-pack, we want to make it easier for women to keep extra emergency contraceptive at home, just like they would with other birth control options like condoms.”
The New York Times points out something feminists have been screaming from the rooftops for decades: Abortion is a winning issue. They point out that candidates running for all sorts of positions are hammering on their pro-choice bonafides. And it’s working. Daniela Velázquez, for example, who is running for the St. Louis Board of Aldermen, says, “I have been knocking on doors and people have looked at our lit and been like, ‘Oh, you know, pro-choice’. Then they say, ‘Yeah, I’m going to vote for you.’”
Anti-abortion groups in the U.S. have set their targets on the U.K., exporting their activism and tactics to help groups there ban abortion. Katherine O’Brien, spokesperson for the British Pregnancy Advisory Services told The Guardian that they’ve seen an uptick in anti-abortion protests, and that they’re fearful that American groups wills start to divert some of their funding and energy to the U.K.:
“They are going into schools, into universities, and have a real drive to recruit the ‘next generation’ of anti-abortion activists. They know they are playing the long game, and they believe that they will win, even if it takes decades.”
I appreciated this quote from Dr. Rebecca Gomperts of Aid Access, who spoke about the patients she helps in the U.S. and beyond—women who are often facing issues like poverty and domestic violence:
“I don’t need a horror story to justify it, and I don’t want anyone to need a horror story. Being forced to continue an unwanted pregnancy is a violation of fundamental rights.”
Quick hits:
The editorial board at the Los Angeles Times argues against the Comstock Act being used to limit access to abortion medication;
Also in the Los Angeles Times, the paper has a fascinating (though horrifying) piece about the city’s ‘abortion squad’ of cops in the 1960s that went after abortion patients and providers;
The Cut spoke to six men about their post-Roe vasectomies;
And yet another study found that being denied abortions increased mental health distress in women.
Listen up…
Democracy Now did a segment about the ruling that blocked the Affordable Care Act’s mandate that insurers cover preventive care—and what it means that health insurance companies can deny prenatal care in a time when pregnancy is being forced on so many American women.
Keep an eye on…
Just a week ago, I told you about Alabama lawmakers saying that they were going to “streamline” the adoption process—an unsurprising but chilling thought considering the many problems with the private adoption industry and the relationships between anti-abortion centers and Christian adoption groups. Now we’re hearing the same thing from legislators in Tennessee, where Republican Sen. Ferrell Haile says they want to “make it easier, cheaper and faster to adopt.”
Specifically, they’re pushing legislation that would speed up the timeline for the termination of parental rights, making it easier to take someone’s children from them. Total nightmare.
You love to see it…
Last month, I told you about an anti-abortion sign hanging at the entrance of the labor and delivery ward at a California hospital. I was pissed about it. Well, it seems you all were pretty irritated as well—and thanks to public pressure, my contact at the hospital says they’ve taken the sign down! Really terrific news for the women who no longer have to be shamed as they’re going in to get care.
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