In the states…
An Arizona judge ruled on Friday that a near-total abortion ban written in 1864 can go into effect. The ban has no rape or incest exceptions, and only allows abortion if someone’s life is in imminent danger.
Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, the Democratic candidate for governor, said in a statement, “Medical professionals will now be forced to think twice and call their lawyer before providing patients with oftentimes necessary, lifesaving care.” And while Abe Hamadeh, the Republican nominee for state attorney general, said, “I vow to always interpret laws as written,” his Democratic opponent Kris Mayes made clear she believed the law was unconstitutional:
“This outrageous law represents a clear violation of the rights of women in our state. Even worse, it will put the health of women at risk in a way we have not seen in our lifetime. Women and girls will die because of it. It’s unacceptable that Arizona women are now being forced back in time.”
Some small good news out of Arizona: In new voter registrations, women are outnumbering men.
Meanwhile, Indiana Republicans continue to push for the state’s abortion ban to go into effect; late last week state officials appealed a judge’s ruling blocking the law. The good news is that most of Indiana’s abortion providers are expected to resume services this week—and have already seen an uptick in calls coming in from people seeking care.
You may remember the affidavits filed by abortion providers in Ohio that showed that multiple children and women with cancer were denied care. There are so many more stories out that filing: One doctor, for example, describes a high school senior who became seriously ill during her pregnancy to the point where she couldn’t go to school and finish out her education. She was denied an abortion and ended up in the hospital on suicide watch. 70% of voters in the state oppose the abortion ban.
Remember how Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vowed to eliminate rape in an attempt to defend the state’s extreme abortion ban with no exceptions for rape and incest? Well, it turns out he didn’t. Lindsey LeBlanc, executive director of the Sexual Assault Resource Center, says “the numbers have stayed consistently high,” and that she has a waitlist for victims who need help. Apparently Texas’ abortion ban is also making it harder for oil companies to hire a younger, more diverse workforce—something they’ve spent millions in recent years to do.
Also in Texas: Some Republican lawmakers are making noise about supporting rape and incest exceptions as if we’re supposed to be grateful. This is going to be a huge strategy for conservatives in the coming months—push bans without exceptions then act as if exceptions are a compromise. They’re not. There is no compromise on our freedom.
Michigan Planned Parenthood says their patient numbers have tripled in the wake of abortion bans in surrounding states. Meanwhile, more than 500 doctors in the state have filed a motion in support of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s lawsuit challenging the state’s trigger law.
In Georgia, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Democratic women are running on abortion—even in races where they’re likely to lose—in an effort to narrow Republican margins in ultra-conservative districts to help statewide Dems get closer to victory. Also in the state, the candidates competing for Attorney General have opposing views on whether or not the AG has a responsibility to enforce the Georgia abortion ban. (You can guess who believes what.)
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly is deliberately avoiding abortion as an issue in her re-election campaign in order to appeal to Republican voters; a Utah law professor writes in The Salt Lake Tribune that abortion providers who were sent cease and desist letters by Republicans could sue the lawmakers; and here’s some info on the state constitutional amendment on Kentucky’s ballot this November.
A North Dakota lawmaker shared her abortion story for the first time at a reproductive justice rally this weekend. Rep. Linda Duba told the Sioux Falls crowd about a “young girl”:
“She came from a family who was pretty strict. She was worried about what people would think of her if they found out that she was pregnant and that young girl was me.”
And Maine governor Paul LePage has done what lots of conservatives are doing at the moment—enlisting the help of their female relatives to ensure voters they’re not horrific misogynists. In this case, LePage has had his daughter make a campaign ad promising women that he supports abortion exceptions. Gross!
Speaking of pieces of shit, Pennsylvania’s Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano said on a phone call with anti-abortion activists that he “looks forward to signing” a 6-week abortion ban.
A North Dakota judge has once again denied the state’s request to let an abortion ban go into effect; a Washington poll shows voters there have abortion top-of-mind (part of the reason Sen. Patty Murray’s campaign got a “turbocharge”); and in Colorado an OBGYN points out that Republican U.S. Senate candidate Joe O’Dea’s claim that a 20 week fetus is viable “doesn’t make sense.”
And if you have the stomach to listen,Weekend Edition at NPR has a segment on an abortion clinic in Louisiana that’s closing after 42 years. It’s just devastating.
In the nation…
The CDC says that 4 out of 5 pregnancy-related deaths are preventible. What I didn’t know is that more than half of these deaths happen more than a week after childbirth, which means a key to lowering U.S. maternal mortality is better follow-up care.
More health care professionals are calling for increased access to medication abortion by promoting a misoprostol-only regimen. (You may remember that a new study shows that taking only misoprostol, as opposed to mifepristone and misoprostol, can be just as effective in ending a pregnancy.) Thoai D. Ngo, PhD—epidemiologist and director of GIRL Center at the Population Council—writes that a misoprostol-only regimen is cheaper, simpler, and would increase access.
An ABC News poll shows that 64% of Americans disagree with the Supreme Court’s decisions to overturn Roe; POLITICO reports on how abortion is impacting governor’s races across the country; and Reuters gets into why Black women are being the hardest hit by abortion bans.
Iraq War Veteran and former Army captain Allison Jaslow writes that the Biden administration should support troops’ access to abortion—starting by blocking the Space Command’s move to Alabama: “[H]ow can our leaders consider forcing more troops and their families to move to a state with such archaic restrictions on reproductive care?”
Last week, the Justice Department said it will provide legal defense to VA doctors and medical professionals who perform abortions, even if the care was provided in a state where abortion is illegal. (VA docs can give abortions in cases of life- and health-saving care and for rape and incest victims.)
The National Abortion Federation has released a short video of women sharing their abortion experiences, including actress Kathy Najimy:
Paul Waldman and Greg Sargent at The Washington Post write that Republicans’ most extreme efforts on abortion are failing—with public opinion completely against them and scared candidates scrubbing their websites of any mention of abortion.
And if you plan on getting a new Apple Watch, here’s how to keep your ovulation data private.
Rolling Stone reports on a man who is suing an abortion clinic on behalf of his ex’s fetus. In fact, legally it’s actually the fetus who is suing, after this man created an estate on behalf of the nonexistent embryo. Just another day in our fetal personhood nightmare! It’s a terrifying but important read—just as is this piece on how the fall of abortion rights is a sign of a democracy in decline.
A new report from Advocates for Youth found that a whopping 88% of young people struggled to access birth control pills. Seventy five percent reported more than one barrier to accessing the contraceptive, including lack of transportation, trouble scheduling appointments, lack of a regular health care provider, financial concerns or fear of parents finding out. The report is part of a campaign by the organization to make a birth control pill available over-the-counter. Here’s just one story:
“As a teenager, I wanted to go on birth control, but my doctor was extremely judgmental, going so far as to tell me ‘teenage girls don't like sex’…I tried to go to Planned Parenthood, but I was afraid my parents would find out. I used condoms and had several very stressful pregnancy scares between the ages of 15 and 19.” –Elizabeth, New Jersey
You love to see it…
The romance novel community has responded to Roe being overturned by taking some innovative action: More than 150 best-selling authors contributed stories to an anthology called Dissent, all the profits of which go to abortion funds. Brilliant.
Appreciate this quote from West Virginia Sen. Owens Brown, who asked lawmakers to look around while passing an abortion ban last week:
“When I look around the room, what do I see? A bunch of middle-aged and some elderly men. Look out in the hallway. What do you see? You see young women, and we’re here making a decision for all these young women because you’re never going to have to ever face this issue yourself.”
And this new campaign to raise money for the National Network of Abortion Funds is considered so racy that YouTube wouldn’t let me embed it in the newsletter.
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