GOP state legislators plan to subvert the will of the people, illustrating that Democratic-led legislatures are the only path to protect reproductive freedoms
WASHINGTON — Ballot measures protecting abortion access prevailed in many states across the country, but Republican state legislators are already scheming to undermine them – illustrating both the ultimate power state legislatures still hold in determining reproductive freedom and state Republicans’ priorities.
In Arizona, a GOP legislator plans to target access to abortion pills following the newly approved constitutional amendment protecting abortion access. In Missouri, House Republicans are moving forward with proposed changes to the abortion rights amendment that voters passed, and several GOP state legislators have explicitly vowed to bring a measure forward to challenge the amendment. In Montana, Republican legislators attacked the voter-approved amendment and floated legislation to potentially undermine its implementation. These new proposals match what we saw last year when Kansas Republicans repeatedly ignored voters and continued to attack abortion access after voters rejected their attempt to pass an anti-abortion constitutional ban.
These aren’t isolated incidents.
As legislative sessions kick off, Republican state legislators will only become more emboldened under a Trump presidency to undermine the will of voters to pass Project 2025 and their extreme MAGA agenda. They stand in clear contrast to their Democratic colleagues, who stand ready across the country to protect their communities and focus on policies to improve lives. 160 million Americans–nearly half the country–continue to be protected by at least one Democratic majority in their legislature.
DLCC Interim Communications Director Sam Paisley issued the following statement:
“Earlier this month, voters in multiple states like Arizona, Missouri, and Montana made clear they want their reproductive freedoms protected, but state Republicans have wasted no time in scheming to undermine the will of voters. Republican legislators are already exploring avenues to upend the implementation of abortion rights amendments, and those attempts will only intensify under a Trump administration. State Democrats are on the frontlines of defending against Republican attacks up and down the ballot – the firewall in blue state legislatures has never mattered more.”
The DLCC is the official arm of the Democratic Party with the sole mission of building Democratic power in the states and setting the national agenda at the state level. Over the last decade, we have fought cycle-over-cycle to gain a dozen new legislative chamber majorities and we are leading the effort to bring national attention and investment to our ballot level. 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, the DLCC and state legislators are moving the Democratic agenda forward and shaping the future of this country.
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