Content warning: Today’s newsletter contains a description of pregnancy loss, with explicit medical details.
In the states…
Indiana’s abortion ban went into effect today. The law has exceptions for rape and incest up until 10 weeks, only if the doctor performing the abortion certifies in writing that an assault took place. There is also an exception for a fatal fetal anomaly or if a pregnant person’s life is at risk—both of which we know are subjective and put doctors in impossible situations. (Especially when the criminal penalty for abortion is now six years in prison and loss of your medical license.)
State representative Sue Errington told The Guardian, “I’m old enough to remember before Roe v Wade. Women are going to suffer, and some will die from this.” And Indiana abortion provider Dr. Katie McHugh told CBS News, “In the short term, I see incredible harm. I see so much harm on these populations that will not be able to access abortion care. And I think about the generational damage that will be done to these patients and their families.”
Despite the ban, Whole Woman’s Health in Indiana is remaining open to help pregnant people however they can. Amy Hagstrom Miller, president of Whole Health Alliance, says, “We want to be crystal clear about one thing. We’re not closing...Our message to Governor Holcomb and the legislators who enacted this disastrous law, the fight is far from over and you will not prevail.”
Speaking of Whole Woman’s Health (which has several locations around the country), the Austin Chronicle in Texas has partnered with a local artist to make an “Aid and Abet Abortions” t-shirt; all of the proceeds will go towards the organization. It’s actually a very cool shirt!
Also in Texas, Baylor College of Medicine has released a position paper about how the deliberately vague anti-abortion law puts patients in danger (and makes doctors fearful).
Iowa abortion providers continue to fight back against Gov. Kim Reynolds, who is trying to overturn a judge’s 2019 decision blocking an abortion ban.
A judge has temporarily blocked Ohio’s abortion ban from going into effect for the next two weeks. The restraining order comes as part of a lawsuit brought by the ACLU of Ohio on behalf of Ohio abortion providers. Also in Ohio, a poll shows that 2 out of 3 people oppose the state’s abortion law.
In West Virginia, where an abortion ban was passed yesterday, NPR talks to the director of the sole clinic in the state. And The Washington Post looks at how clinics essentially stopped providing care overnight. Eli Baumwell of the ACLU of West Virginia said, “It’s hard to overstate what a terrible day this is for the state of West Virginia. The Legislature chose to strip away a basic human right to choose if, when, and how a person becomes a parent.”
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp gave a speech at an event for the Family Research Council this week—an organization designated as an extremist hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Interestingly, Kemp only mentioned abortion briefly, despite his audience’s extremism on the issue. The governor likely sees the writing on the wall: A poll last month found that 42% of Georgians were more likely to vote for a candidate who will protect access to abortion, while only 26% said they want someone who will limit access to abortion. And while Kemp has had a lead over Stacey Abrams, a poll just yesterday said the race was too close to call.
At the same conservative event, South Carolina State Sen. Josh Kimbrell gave some messaging advice to the activists and politicians in the room: “We’ve got to stop talking.” Instead of answering questions about possible future restrictions, Kimbrell said, they should focus on talking about their opponents as callous killers who want abortion up until the moment of birth. (I’ve written a column about this strategy, and why Democrats need to face it head on.) The state representative also cautioned against talking about the kinds of punishment women will face under their abortion bans, because it looks bad: “[I]f we go and start putting moms in jail, we’re going to lose the public debate.” Ya think?
FiveThirtyEight has a short explainer video about abortion law in Wisconsin:
And a criminal defense attorney in Tennessee has written an op-ed about the affirmative defense mandate in the state’s abortion law: “This law does not protect life. This law threatens life.” Meanwhile, new voter registrations in the state have surged—and more than half of them are women.
In Mississippi, rape victims are legally supposed to be able to get abortions. But in a state where doctors can face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of giving someone an illegal abortion, none are willing to do it. Mississippi Today surveyed dozens of hospitals in the state about whether they’d give a legal abortion to a rape victim—the biggest hospitals refused to answer. None that did respond said its doctors would provide abortions for rape victims. Doctors also told the publication that “they’re not aware of anyone in the state who will provide the procedure for rape victims because of concerns about potential legal consequences and logistical hurdles.”
In North Dakota, the Democratic nominee for the state’s sole congressional seat dropped out—Mark Haugen is an anti-abortion Democrat, and party leaders encouraged him to “make room” for Cara Mund, a former Miss America running as a pro-choice independent. The state’s party chairman, Patrick Hart, told ABC News, "This cycle isn't really the cycle for pro-life Democrats.”
Here’s something interesting in Colorado. While Republicans across the country are scrubbing their websites of their abortion positions, Colorado Republican Senate nominee Joe O’Dea is trying a different tactic. A recent campaign ad read, “Joe O’Dea: supports abortion rights, gay marriage. You live your life, I’ll live mine.” But here’s the thing, he doesn’t really support abortion rights. O’Dea’s opponent, Michael Bennet, says “I think the national Republicans are hoping that he will be able to succeed in fooling the people in Colorado about where he really stood.”
An abortion-rights group in Kentucky has started to train and work with volunteers in anticipation of an election day measure that would ban the state constitution from protecting abortion rights. Protect Kentucky Access is “training volunteers how to build awareness by canvassing neighborhoods and rallying opposition to the amendment online.” The organization has raised nearly $1.5 million this year, much more than the state’s anti-choice counterpart. (Thank goodness.)
A new Planned Parenthood has opened its doors in Pennsylvania; meanwhile Arizona Senate Republican hopeful, Blake Masters, continues his awkward flip-flopping on abortion.
Gov. Gavin Newsom continues to be proactive on abortion in California: His re-election campaign has rented billboards in six states with abortion bans, with advertisements directing women to a newly-launched website that instructs people how and where to get an abortion in California—whether or not they live in the state.
For New Yorkers: Broad City co-creator and star Ilana Glazer is hosting a "Dance for Democracy" to raise money for the National Network of Abortion Funds. The event is on Saturday, October 8, and you can buy tickets here.
I came across this letter to the editor in a local Delaware paper and had to share. It’s distressing—from a woman who ended her pregnancy at 7 months after getting a devastating diagnosis—but important to read, if you’re able. Heather Hamill writes:
“As much as I wanted my daughter to be OK, nothing I did, nothing anyone did could make that so. I refused to torture my newborn with IVs and intubation only to have her die of suffocation in spite of any and all intervention...I was able to choose to give my daughter peace...My daughter was already named, her baby book had entries, her sister’s baby clothes were pulled out in preparation. In short, we were very ready for her. It just wasn’t meant to be.”
Across the country…
A new poll shows that 7 in 10 Americans don’t believe that politicians are informed enough to create fair laws about abortion.
TIME looks at disagreements among Republicans about how extreme their abortion bans should be. I found this line incredibly depressing: “Others are trying to strike a balance by selling what used to be seen as aggressive measures—like bans on abortion after 15 weeks—as the new middle ground in light of the no-exceptions bans.” That’s a middle ground?? Related: The Associated Press examines how Republicans are reacting to Sen. Lindsey Graham’s introduction of a federal ban.
And The Washington Post looks at efforts to redefine what “late term” abortion means (including Lindsey Graham’s bullshit national ban).
This is interesting: New research from two psychology professors says that anti-abortion beliefs are driven by fear of promiscuity. Los Angeles Magazine has an interview with one researcher, Dr. Martie Haselton, a UCLA social psychology professor who specializes in evolution and human behavior. Dr. Haselton says her research sheds some light on some of the contradictions in anti-abortion thought:
“[T]he prevailing pattern is that people who oppose abortion access are also often in favor of the death penalty, opposed to access to contraception, and opposed to child welfare policies that would support women after they have been compelled to have a child.”
In USA Today, the paper spoke to more than 30 current and retired professional female athletes, coaches, agents and sports executives about how the overturning of Roe and state abortion bans is impacting women’s sports.
STAT, a publication about health and medicine, has an interview with doctor and ethicist Matthew Wynia, who wrote a piece about “professional civil disobedience” after Dobbs. Very much worth a read (both the interview and the paper.)
As always, hit me up at jessica@substack.com if you have any tips.
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