New York lawmakers are considering a bill that would move money to abortion providers, allowing them to increase staff and security to meet already-rising demand. In March, Oregon legislators approved a $15 million fund for these purposes, which will help provide access to abortion not only for residents of the state but also for those in neighboring Idaho, where there are had overcome a bill banning abortion after about six weeks.
Of course, all the laws can be turned upside down when the political winds change. That’s why abortion rights groups in some states focus on their own constitutions. In New York, abortion rights advocates, including Governor Kathy Hochul, are pushing for a constitutional amendment to be brought before New York voters in 2024, to protect reproductive rights in the event the state Legislature falls into party hands. Republic. In Michigan, Governor Gretchen Whitmer asked last month The Supreme Court of her state ruled that the Michigan Constitution protects the right to an abortion.
Finally, pro-choice countries recognize that they must take some strategic defenses when it comes to protecting abortion providers and possibly women who have abortions themselves. , from countries that reach beyond their borders to impose their anti-abortion laws on others. For example, Missouri lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow its residents to sue anyone in any state for helping a Missouri resident get an abortion.
In the face of such laws, an invoice in New York would prohibit law enforcement agencies from assisting with out-of-state investigations of abortion providers or women seeking abortions in New York. The Connecticut General Assembly took place morepassed a law allowing providers in the state to fight anyone who sues them for damages for providing abortion care.
Meanwhile in Louisiana, a state that still applies the death penalty, legislators recently passed a commission an invoice that would define a fertilized egg as a complete human being – meaning anyone who performed an abortion, and any woman who obtained it, could be charged with murder.
All this shows is that the right to abortion cannot be left to individual states – which very few people on both sides of the issue really want.
This is why a national standard is needed. That national norm, at least for the next few weeks, is Roe v. Wade as amended by Planned Parenthood v. Casey. These two rulings are far from perfect, but for all their flaws, they strive to strike a delicate balance that reflects the complex public position on an issue rife with morality. A majority of Americans do not want these cases exposed, and a majority believe that abortion should not be banned altogether.
If you think Roe v. Wade itself has led to discord and division, wait until it disappears.
