In the states…
In Indiana, where a sweeping abortion ban went into effect yesterday, Democratic Senate candidate Thomas McDermott gave an interview to Indiana University’s newspaper. When asked what his top priority is, McDermott gave the exact right answer: “Women are losing their civil liberties tomorrow, that’s the top issue. And I know I’ve talked about it a lot, but it is the top issue.” Also in Indiana, a judge there declined to block enforcement of ban yesterday, just a few hours after it took effect.
Chicago Tonight has a segment on how Illinois abortion providers and activists are dealing with the influx of patients from anti-choice states—expected to only get worse now that Indiana’s abortion ban has gone into effect. (Some Indiana docs are even moving there so they can continue to practice.)
And if you want a good explainer about the abortion ban in West Virginia, you should definitely check this out.
The South Carolina chapter of American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists published an open letter in the The State newspaper urging lawmakers to strike down anti-abortion legislation. It was signed by hundreds of medical professionals and students.
Speaking of letters from desperate doctors, medical professionals in Wisconsin released a letter to Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels, asking him to stop supporting extremist anti-choice organizations. They also raised concerns that Michels would only make the situation in the state worse, if elected:
“Wisconsin women shouldn’t have to continue to suffer because of this cruel abortion ban or worry that they could die from pregnancy under even more draconian restrictions.”
Also in Wisconsin, Reuters investigates how abortion may give Democrats a shot at flipping a Senate seat.
A judge in Arizona is expected to rule next week on which of the state’s laws can be enforced. Right now, the trigger law is blocked in the state, but Arizona’s attorney general wants the ban to go into effect. Since Roe has been overturned, there’s been a lot of confusion in the state—and clinics only recently started to offer abortion services again. No matter what Judge Kellie Johnson decides, however, Arizona’s abortion laws will end up being limited: If the judge sides with the attorney general, the near-total abortion ban will be enforced; if she sides with Planned Parenthood (who sued over the law), the state will still ban abortions after 15 weeks because of another recently-passed law. So, best case scenario in Arizona is that abortion is banned at 15 weeks starting on September 24th.
Abortion provider Dr. DeShawn Taylor says, “This moment is going to have repercussions for generations to come.”
Utah Republicans are harassing abortion providers in the state, sending them cease and desist letters warning them that “abortion is still a crime in Utah,” despite an injunction blocking the state law. Karrie Galloway, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Association of Utah, said, “[T]his appears to be a stunt to further harass abortion providers and stigmatize patients who need care. PPAU is providing abortion care in full compliance with current law and always has.”
The Republican nominee for Nevada governor says he’s opposed to a national abortion ban: Joe Lombardo, who is anti-abortion, said, “It’s the vote of the people within the state of Nevada, and I will support that.” Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak, however, says his opponent is lying. And that’s the thing right now: All of these Republicans can see that Americans don’t want abortion bans, so they’re saying whatever needs to be said. There’s no reason to trust them.
Tennessee lawyers are just waiting for the first criminal abortion case, which they say is inevitable because of the state’s ‘affirmative defense’ mandate for doctors who give abortions to save a woman’s life.
I told you about the billboards that California Gov. Gavin Newsom is launching in multiple anti-abortion states; here’s a look at a few of them:
Abortion is legal up until 24 weeks in Pennsylvania, but Philadelphia’s city council is still taking proactive measure to protect access: They’re working on bills that, among other things, would stop the sharing of abortion patient information and guarantee city funding wouldn’t be used to aid in the criminalization of abortion. (A city ordinance in Salem, Massachusetts just did something similar.)
And as has been the case in so many other states, New Mexico saw an increase in women registering to vote. More of this, please! Meanwhile, the Republican nominee for governor, Mark Ronchetti, proposed a referendum to place new limits on access to abortion in a television ad.
In Ohio, JD Vance continues to be a racist, misogynist weirdo. There’s no way to explain this one, you need to read it yourself.
Speaking of awful people, New York’s Rep. Elise Stefanik supports Sen. Lindsey Graham’s national abortion ban. Not a surprise, but I found this statement from her office extra gross: “Congresswoman Stefanik, a young mother, is pro-life with exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother.” What does being a mother have to do with it? Are we supposed to assume that because Stefanik had a baby, she’s obviously anti-abortion? I’m a mother, and going through a life-threatening pregnancy made me more pro-choice than ever. Also, Elise, you’re not that young.
In the nation…
A new poll of people in 11 states in the South show that a majority—even of Republicans—support abortion in cases of rape. Statistics like this are why Democrats need to hammer not just the states that have no exceptions—but even those that do. Because, as we saw yesterday in Mississippi, even states that say abortion for rape victims is legal don’t have doctors willing to risk it. We need to point out to voters that this is what abortion bans do, no matter what politicians claim.
The editorial board of the Los Angeles Times writes that a national abortion ban would be a “nightmare”; and Michelle Goldberg at The New York Times writes about its cruelty:
Graham would condemn every single woman who gets disastrous news from her amnio or her anatomy scan to carry a doomed pregnancy to term, unless she could prove that it was going to kill her. Whether thoughtless or deliberate, the cruelty of this is almost unfathomable.
Chrissy Teigen shared her abortion story today, something that up until recently she had characterized as a miscarriage: “Let’s just call it what it was: It was an abortion. An abortion to save my life for a baby that had absolutely no chance. And to be honest, I never, ever put that together until, actually, a few months ago.”
On The View, actor Jameela Jamil also talked about her abortion experience and what she thinks about the current state of reproductive rights:
A New York Times/Siena College poll shows that abortion is giving Democrats a real edge in the midterms; law professor (and All in Her Head reader!) Naomi Cahn writes about the connection between abortion restrictions and family well-being; and CBS News covers how abortion bans are going to make it harder (if not impossible) for pregnant cancer patients to get the treatment they need.
Slate has an article about what Americans can learn from the pro-choice activists in Ireland; a public radio project on military life gets into how the Hyde Amendment has impacted military women; and VICE reports on how abortion bans pose a national security risk.
I hope everyone has a great weekend—if you’re in need of some cheering, check out the latest One Good Thing!
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