Abortion, Every Day (4.15.24)

Republicans panicking after Arizona

Click to skip ahead: In All About Arizona, the fallout continues. Ballot Measure Updates from Florida, Ohio, Nevada and Missouri. In the States, news from Maine, New York and Iowa. 2024 looking more focused on abortion than ever. In Media Muck-Ups, time off for abortion isn’t “divisive.” In the Nation, a look at the U.S. Senate race in Arizona. Finally, in Stats & Studies, most Catholics support abortion rights.

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All About Arizona

Abortion rights activists and angry citizens took to the streets of Arizona this weekend, protesting the state’s soon-to-be-enacted 1864 ban.

The activists behind Arizona’s pro-choice ballot measure effort say that the immediate fury and energy is a good sign for November. Dawn Penich, a spokesperson for the Arizona for Abortion Access, told the Arizona Republic, “The number of people showing up—both at these rallies and at the signature collection events that we're having all over the state—just shows how out of step this ruling is with what Arizona voters value.”

Indeed, nurse practitioner Wendy Wetzel told public radio station WNAU, “I was furious because I feel we’re going back in time instead of forward, and that men are still trying to control our bodies and it’s really none of their business.” That anger is what I was getting at in my Friday column, about why this ban, over all others, seemed to be a tipping point:

The Arizona Tipping Point

That said, anti-abortion activists in Arizona have been emboldened by the ruling. NBC News reports that men stood outside the Acacia Women’s Center, shouting at patients and demanding that women be “punished” for having abortions. Protester/asshole James Baird told reporters, “Women are free, under the law, to do a DIY abortion without any repercussions from the law. We want the law to protect these babies just like the law protects you and I.”

It’s important we’re paying attention to how these bans rile up the dregs of the anti-abortion movement—harassment and violence against clinics is already on the rise, and this is sure to make things worse.

Speaking of the Acacia Women’s Center, The New York Times spoke to patients visiting the clinic while they still can.

Quick hits on Arizona: Vox and the Associated Press both published histories of the 1864 ban; NPR speaks to Attorney General Kris Mayes, who says she won’t enforce the state’s ban; Mayes talks about California as a potential “safe haven” for providers; and how the ban is expected to hit the Native American population in the state.

Ballot Measure Updates

Thanks to Republican delaying tactics, it’s pretty much impossible for the Missouri abortion rights ballot measure to get on the August ballot—instead it’s heading to voters in November. Seems like a poor move on the state GOP’s part, given that fury over abortion rights are going to drive more voters to the polls in November. But public radio station KCUR points out that Missouri Republicans are looking to raise the standards on ballot measures—and an August election wouldn’t give them enough time to do that.

It’s the same thing we saw in Ohio: Republicans will do anything they can to stop voters from having a direct say on abortion.

A few new polls have come out of Florida showing mixed support for the abortion right ballot measure headed to voters this November. A poll from Emerson showed that 42% of Floridians said they’d support Amendment 4, significantly lower than past polls and 18 points shy of the 60% needed to pass the amendment.

Another poll this week, this one from USA Today/Ipsos, put the support at 57%. Every other bit of polling I’ve seen showing overwhelming support for the measure—so I’m curious to see more. Related: NPR spoke to some protesters in Florida protesters about Amendment 4.

Meanwhile, months after Ohio voters enshrined abortion rights in the state constitution, pro-choice activists and advocates are still working to repeal anti-choice laws. “The Sound of Ideas” podcast does a deep dive on what’s happening in the state, and why it’s taking so long to enforce Issue 1:

Finally, Vice President Kamala Harris was in Nevada today, urging voters to support a pro-choice ballot measure. CBS News reports that the Biden-Harris campaign will help collect signatures for the abortion rights amendment.

In the States

Another state Supreme Court could come down with an abortion ruling soon: In Iowa, Republican leaders are asking justices to allow the state’s blocked near-total abortion ban to go into effect. Last year, the justices—in a rare 3-3 split thanks to one judge’s recusal—declined to reinstate the ban. This time around, all of the justices are hearing the case. I’ll keep you updated as I find out more, but if another state Supreme Court ruling comes down against abortion I think Republicans are going to shit themselves.

Thousands of abortion rights activists protested in Florida this weekend, demonstrating against the state Supreme Court’s ruling that will enforce a 6-week ban starting on May 1—and in favor of Amendment 4. One of the protesters, Derick Cook, described how his wife’s life was endangered by her pregnancy—but because she was just over the 15-week limit, she couldn’t get an abortion.

“The doctor told us that because of the ban, there was nothing he could do to help,” he said. She ended up delivering the fetus at a hair salon and almost died from blood loss. I don’t think Republicans realize just how many people have scary experiences with pregnancy—and how many of these stories will resonate.

In Maine, the House and Senate passed a bill on Friday to protect abortion patients and providers from out-of-state legal action. This is the law that had 16 Republican attorneys general with their panties in a twist, with Tennessee’s Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti calling the bill “state-sanctioned culture war litigation tourism.” (The law allows those harmed by out-of-state anti-abortion litigation to bring a civil suit in response.)

Glad to see it moving forward—I but had to mention this interesting tidbit: Because cops are gonna cop, Maine sheriffs asked lawmakers to take out the prohibition on law enforcement cooperating with out-of-state agencies on cases about abortion or gender-affirming care. Gross.

Finally, in my home state of New York, the Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments from anti-abortion groups and the Roman Catholic dioceses, who want to reverse a law that requires employers to offer health insurance that covers medically necessary abortions. (How much clearer can they get??)

Quick hits:

• Wisconsin’s Sen. Kelda Roys won’t let voters forget about Donald Trump’s real views on abortion;

• The Seattle Times on why abortion rights aren’t a sure thing in Washington;

• And an Alabama House committee passed a bill to protect birth control (the legislation names IUDs and emergency contraception, specifically which is really important).

2024

A Wall Street Journal poll shows that abortion may be hurting Donald Trump with suburban women in swing states. (I sure fucking hope so!) The poll found that nearly 60% of women in seven battleground states said that Trump’s abortion policies are too restrictive. Here’s the number I like most of all: 39% said abortion is the most important issue for them come November.

Maybe that means Trump should stop bragging that he “broke” Roe v. Wade!

In the meantime, Trump’s campaign has been playing down how important abortion rights is to voters—putting out statements that show they just don’t get it. Here’s what campaign adviser and RNC staffer Chris LaCivita told the Associated Press:

“The election is going to be determined really in large part based on the key issues that the vast majority of Arizonans have to deal with every single day, and that’s, ‘Can I afford to put food on the table and feed my family and get in the car to go to work?’”

Do they actually think that financial concerns are unrelated to abortion rights? Come on. The Biden campaign would do well to remind voters of the connection: like the fact that women who are denied abortions and forced to carry to term are four times more likely to end up below the federal poverty line.

Kamala Harris visited Arizona last week, and (correctly) laid blame for the 1864 ban on Trump’s doorstep:

"It is Donald Trump who, during his campaign in 2016, said women should be punished for seeking an abortion. Donald Trump is the architect of this health-care crisis. And that’s not a fact he hides. In fact, he brags about it…Just like he did in Arizona, he basically wants to take America back to the 1800s, we are not going to let that happen. We are not going back.”

Media Muck-Ups

This is exactly what I mean when I say mainstream media outlets treat abortion as if the country is evenly split on the issue. (We’re not.) An Associated Press headline says, “New rules for Pregnant Workers Fairness Act include divisive accommodations for abortion.” But that’s just not true!

What are these oh-so-controversial workplace rights? That workers can ask for time off to get an abortion, and recover from an abortion. Just because Republican politicians and anti-abortion groups don’t like something, it doesn’t make it “divisive.”

In the Nation

The Guardian has a deep dive on the U.S. Senate race in Arizona, where failed gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake will likely run against U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego. Lake is absolutely scrambling on abortion, while Gallego has been campaigning on reproductive rights since the start—a tactic sure to serve him well with the state’s 1864 ban poised to go into effect.

As one Democratic strategist put it, “Congressman Gallego has to introduce himself to voters and talk about his legacy of service, [Lake] has to convince voters that she was just kidding 12 months ago, and isn’t really supportive of a ban that predates light bulbs.” WHEW.

After years of supporting the 1864 ban—it was just in 2022 that she said the law “thrilled” her—Lake is doing a panicked reversal. She’s trying, but it’s going to be hard for her to walk all that back. Especially when Gallego keeps putting out ads like this one, where his campaign makes clear just how intensely Lake has supported the law. (She even cited it the law by its official statute title!)

In the meantime, Rep. Gallego says that repealing the 1864 ban would be too little, too late: “The only protection we really, really have is to codify this and put this on the ballot and enshrine Roe and protect abortion rights.”

A quick complaint about media coverage: I am begging reporters to stop saying that Kari Lake’s position on abortion “evolved.” It didn’t evolve, she’s running scared. The same is true for Donald Trump and other Republicans trying to appear more moderate than they actually are. The only way they’re able to get away with that lie is if mainstream media outlets buy into it.

Quick hits:

• Rewire on the connection between abortion rights and birth justice;

• Media Matters on the growing problem of contraception misinformation on TikTok;

• KFF has a super helpful policy brief on the Comstock Act and how it could be used to enact a backdoor ban on abortion;

• TIME on how abortion isn’t a war on women, but a war on poor women;

• And The 19th reports that abortion funds are struggling with dwindling donations and increased costs with Arizona and Florida bans set to take effect. (Donate to abortion funds here.)

Stats & Studies

New research shows that people seeking sterilization spiked after Roe was overturned. Researchers looked at young adults, in particular, ages 18 to 30. Jaqueline Ellison, assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health and lead researcher said, “What we see is reflecting increases in fear and anxiety among young people about restricted access to abortion after Dobbs.”

And in just more proof that American support abortion, Pew found that 6 in 10 Catholics believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases.