Extremist judges will not stop endangering the lives of pregnant people or people who may become pregnant—overturning Roe v. Wade, attacking medication abortion, threatening the future of IVF, and this week at SCOTUS, emergency abortion care.
Our lawyers are waging strategic fights that make clear what is at stake for people who can become pregnant and seek to bolster our fundamental rights to control our lives, futures, and destinies.
Make a donation to the National Women’s Law Center to power the fight for accessible health care and a better future for all. Every donation is 100% tax-deductible.
We received the incredible news last week that Kansas voters have voted down a ballot measure that would have amended their state constitution and taken away the right to abortion. This is a huge win that we all owe to the work of grassroots organizers in Kansas.
After so many weeks (honestly, years) of devastating news, this was a strong reminder that there is hope and that we can build the power to fight back. Anti-abortion leaders and legislators in Kansas do not represent the majority of the people, what they want, and the rights they deserve. This week, join us in celebrating this win and learning from the organizers who made it possible.
Abortion access is changing by the day. We have already seen the harm caused by the overturn of Roe: pregnant people are being denied life-saving medical care, being forced to wait until they are “sick enough” to receive an abortion (risking their lives and damaging their health), and being providers are being targeted for providing essential care. These horrifying stories are why it’s more important than ever to dig into our local fights, and why the Kansas win is giving us so much hope.
Let’s get into the State of Abortion:
Georgia
Thanks to reproductive justice leaders in Georgia, the Atlanta City Council voted to allocate funding for abortion access.
Take action: Volunteer your time or donate to Amplify Georgia Collaborative who is fighting for affordable and dignified abortion care for Georgians.
Idaho
The Department of Justice has sued the state of Idaho, claiming that Idaho’s abortion ban (which is currently set to take effect August 25) violates the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act.
Kansas
Kansans for Constitutional Freedom organized for months to make sure residents were ready to turn out to the polls and defeated an attempt to overturn their state’s constitutional right to abortion. Kansans showed us what we have been yelling from the rooftops for years: A majority of people in the United State support the right to abortion. A huge thank you to Trust Women, ACLU Kansas, Planned Parenthood of Greater Plains Votes, and URGE for making last night’s win possible!
Take action: Support abortion access in Kansas by donating to the Kansas Abortion Fund and Trust Women Foundation. You can also support other fights to protect abortion on the ballot in Michigan, Kentucky, Vermont, California, Nevada, and Montana.
West Virginia
The West Virginia special session to ban abortion is currently paused following powerful local organizing.
Take action: This pause means that more folks in West Virginia will be able to access abortion thanks to folks who mobilized on the ground. To stay plugged in on this fight, follow @ACLU_WV on Twitter.
Texas
Austin, Texas, passed the GRACE Act—which aims to decriminalize abortion in the city. While circumstances are still fraught in Texas because of the state’s bounty hunter law, this is another sign that abortion bans go against the will of the people.
Indiana
Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb signed a near-total abortion ban into law on Friday. The bill is set to go into effect September 15.
Take action: Want to get involved in the fight locally? Follow ACLU of Indiana and Women4Change for opportunities to get involved. Women4Change has great opportunities for you to support their fight to protect abortion here.
Kentucky
A Kentucky state appeals court has reinstated a trigger law banning abortion. Abortion is now illegal in the state. Kentucky residents will have the chance to vote on a ballot measure in November on whether abortion protections are explicitly against their state constitution.
Take action: Donate to the Kentucky Health Justice Network. Follow @kyhealthjustice, @kytranshealth and @acluofky for local updates on what you can do for Kentucky residents, patients and providers. And sign up to volunteer or donate to support the ballot measure fight on the ground.
TLDR: Organizing works
We have seen the harms of extremist legislators and anti-abortion groups spreading misinformation—and now we’re seeing the power of grassroots folks in Kansas combatting that with accurate information, language destigmatizing abortion, and on-the-ground organizing. Recent news offers us a glimmer of hope and affirms what we know to be true: the majority of people in this country support our right to abortion.
