The fall of Roe v. Wade raised the stakes of state legislative power as statehouses became the arbiters of abortion access and reproductive freedom
WASHINGTON— Today marks the third anniversary of the devastating Dobbs v. Jackson ruling that reverted decisions around abortion access and reproductive care to the states. This decision paved the way for a whopping 24 GOP-controlled states to pass dangerous, draconian anti-abortion legislation, forcing patients and providers of reproductive care to make life-or-death decisions.
Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Heather Williams issued the following statement:
“The Dobbs ruling will go down in history as one of the worst Supreme Court decisions whose impact will be felt by generations across the country. Overturning Roe opened the floodgates for Republicans’ anti-abortion crusade and irrevocably raised the stakes around the balance of power in state legislatures. Over the last three years, we have seen a dramatic split screen emerge as state Democrats work tooth and nail to protect reproductive freedom while Republicans criminalize and ban life-saving care. From criminally prosecuting abortion patients to threatening IVF access to denying care to rape and incest victims, Republicans’ extremism knows no bounds. In a post-Roe world, state Democrats are essential for shaping the future of reproductive freedom.”
In legislative sessions this year alone, Republicans have pushed the boundaries of anti-abortion extremism:
- Republicans in at least twelve states – Ohio becoming the latest just last week – have introduced bills this year that could charge abortion patients with murder and threaten access to IVF and contraception.
- South Carolina and West Virginia Republicans proposed removing exceptions for rape or incest from the states’ already-extreme abortion bans.
- Republicans in the Montana legislature introduced first-of-its-kind legislation that would have charged women who leave the state for abortion care with ‘trafficking’ their own fetuses– a crime punishable by up to 40 years in prison.
- Wyoming Republicans threatened to ban chemotherapy and heart surgery with one version of an anti-abortion bill that was introduced.
- Republicans in at least five states pushed to create criminal charges for possessing, prescribing, or distributing abortion medication.
- Texas Republicans passed in the state Senate a bill to expand the private enforcement mechanism to outlaw abortion and allow lawsuits against anyone who mails or delivers abortion pills.
- Republicans in Arizona, Kansas, and Missouri have ignored the will of the voters who backed reproductive freedom ballot measures, by pushing extreme anti-abortion legislation. A Missouri Republican even proposed creating a registry of women who were “at risk” for seeking reproductive health care.
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) is the campaign arm of Democratic state legislatures and leads the national strategy for building power and winning new majorities. Over the last three decades, we have strategized cycle over cycle to win majorities and lead the effort to bring national attention and investment to our ballot level, winning nearly a dozen new chamber majorities over the last decade. Our work has ensured that nearly half of Americans are represented by at least one Democratic majority in their statehouse. State legislatures are the building blocks of our democracy and have the closest connections to Americans’ day-to-day lives. From protecting fundamental freedoms and voting rights to growing the middle class and advancing opportunity, the DLCC and state legislators are moving the Democratic agenda forward and shaping the future of this country.
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