But with the Supreme Court ruling this summer on Mississippi banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, both sides in the abortion debate expect the court to either completely change it or significantly reverse it. Roe. This will allow in advanceRoe Prohibitions in Michigan and other states will come back into force and give states the green light to conduct new ones, making access to abortions very different from state to state.
At the time of preparation and the tightly divided Congress failing to pass new federal abortion legislation, a battle over the procedure is already underway in the states. The blue states are in a hurry to protect people who are terminating their pregnancies, while the red states are pushing a new wave of restrictions.
Whitmer, one of the most vulnerable Democrat governors to be re-elected this fall, is using the extraordinary powers given to Michigan governors to ask the state Supreme Court to hear the abortion case directly, without straying down the lower courts. Challenging a nearly century-old law, Whitmer hopes to establish a proactive right to abortion under the state constitution, regardless of events. At the national level.
“Whatever may happen Roe“I’m going to fight like hell and use all the tools I have as governor to ensure reproductive freedom for all women in Michigan,” Whitmer said in a statement. “If the Supreme Court of the United States rejects the constitutional right to abortion, the Supreme Court of Michigan must be involved.”
While the Mississippi 15-week abortion ban case is still pending in the Supreme Court, countries on both sides who are well aware that abortion might strengthen the voter base on both the left and the right are already acting.
Idaho recently followed the Texas leadership in imposing a ban on abortion in the first six weeks of pregnancy – a moment when many are unaware that they are pregnant – and allowed private citizens to sue to enforce the ban, a new legal framework. Overcome any possible court challenge.
An even broader state abortion ban was passed earlier this week and now sits on the table of Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt. This legislation, which completely prohibits abortion and criminalizes the procedure, is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $ 100,000. Abortion rights groups noted that Oklahoma was a destination for thousands of people traveling from Texas for the procedure, which means the bill will go beyond the state borders.
Republican officials in several other key states, including Florida, West Virginia, Arizona and Kentucky, have taken the path they see as Politically and legally safer: Prohibition of abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
At the same time, the Blue States are preparing for the influx of patients seeking abortion if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns it. RoeAnd these states are working to provide them with legal protection and financial resources.
On Monday, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed the Reproductive Health Equality Act – a law to protect abortion rights within the state.
“No matter what the Supreme Court does in the future, the people of Colorado will be able to choose when and if they will have children,” said Polis, who is running against several Republican rivals who have vowed to restrict access to abortion.
California and Illinois have also developed new abortion rights protections in recent weeks, both for their residents and for doctors performing procedures for people who have arrived abroad who may face a wave of complaints and anti-abortion groups.
“States are moving in completely different directions,” said Andrea Miller, president of the National Institute of Reproductive Health. “With the impending ruling of the Supreme Court, which is expected to exacerbate this trend, the need for state action to expand access to as many people as possible has never been clearer.”
In Michigan, Whitmer’s attempt to have the state proactively recognize the right to abortion is the first time during his tenure that he has exercised his authority to take an important issue directly to the state Supreme Court.
In the run-up to the November midterm elections, advocacy groups on both sides of the abortion campaign are spending millions on voting campaigns, including pro-abortion groups such as Planned Parenthood and NARAL and anti-abortion organizations Susan B. Anthony List and students for American life.
Mallory Carroll, vice president of the SBA List, wrote in an email that her organization is “increasingly focused on and supporting the governors in their role” ahead of the Mississippi abortion case. Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. He noted that the SBA Voter Contact Program includes seven states with competitive governorships in 2022, including Arizona, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The group also has an extensive budget for the election cycle: $ 72 million.
While abortion and the Supreme Court have historically been a major motivator for conservative voters, many believe that the fall of power and the red states’ quest for comprehensive bans could also ignite fire under left-wing voters.
Roshni Nedungad, a HIT Strategies survey researcher who has worked with abortion rights groups such as NARAL and Planned Parenthood heads of state, said the issue is particularly motivated by people of color, “especially women of color” and young progressive voters.
“They are constantly exceeding the index to support reproductive justice in support of voting measures and candidates,” he wrote in the email. “They are also extremely motivated by access to abortion and may be activated to become a driving force in this issue in the upcoming elections.”
But this was followed by a warning: Voters are well aware of Texas law, but a bigger challenge Roe Did not sink.
“They are largely unaware of the threat posed by Roe, and those in the ‘blue’ states feel safe, even if it has to be lifted because of the short-term protection of their legislatures,” Nedungad wrote.
Democratic campaigns and organizations across the country are trying to change this, publicly positioning themselves as pillars against new abortion restrictions in their states. Roe Will be scrapped and large organizations have indicated that the impending Supreme Court battle will play out in their interim messages.
The issue of access to abortion will also be directly on the ballot in at least one state: Kansas. During the state’s August primaries, voters will decide whether to overturn the 2019 state Supreme Court ruling that a state rights bill protected women from accessing abortion.
And the state fight over abortion aired, especially during the Republican primaries. One recent example is Alabama Gov. Kay Ivy, who is Locked for the first time With several Trump-inspired rivals, Bragging in advertising On the Signing of America’s Most Powerful Life Law. Nebraska Republican Jim Pillen Participates in May Debate Hot Debate Advertising is currently running Says “abortion is murder.”
The expected Supreme Court ruling over the summer could be potentially a hassle for Democrats, they hope their party looks serious Backward Republicans in voter enthusiasm Before the intermediate period.
“There are always one or two surprising turns in an election, and it could be one of them,” said Jared Leopold, a veteran Democrat strategist who worked for the Democratic Governors Association. “Democrats’ enthusiasm and some rapprochement with the 2020 coalition will be critical, and choice is one of the issues that can motivate people, especially if there is a threat. Roe Which did not exist in the lives of most people. “
Whitmer sues abortion law as governors prepare for state policy free for all
