Sydney Petersen, a spokesperson for the Washington, D.C.-based National Women’s Law Center, stresses the urgency of monitoring this and other legislation as bills move through the states. “Legislation at the state level moves quickly, and harmful measures can be signed into law within weeks,” she wrote in an email to Truthdig. “For example, states control whether married couples can access no-fault divorce, a critical protection for women seeking to leave abusive marriages. Yet, the Heritage Foundation is urging lawmakers to eliminate this safeguard, a move that could trap women in dangerous relationships and make their escape more expensive.”