One ironic outcome of the Supreme Court Abortion ruling - it is easier to get an abortion now
Even Samuel Alito couldn't object to this. His ruling returning the right to regulate abortion back to the states will not just restrict abortion in some states, but expand abortion access in others.
(from Slate)
But what about blue and purple states, where a majority of the country resides? These states are about to become the chief battleground for reproductive freedom. And while the post-Roe future is not even here quite yet, progressives are doing a remarkably good job preparing for the next phase of the fight.
Indeed, one irony of Roe’s demise is that it has prompted many of these states to make abortions easier and cheaper to obtain. The Supreme Court’s hard-right turn has had the unintended consequence of making abortions much more accessible in many parts of the country.
Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, and Washington state have passed legislation allowing a broader range of medical providers to prescribe or perform abortions, such as advanced practice registered nurses, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, or physician assistants. They’ve joined about a dozen states that already permit health care providers other than physicians to help patients terminate a pregnancy.
New York is doling out $25 million to help clinics expand their capacity by, among other things, training new providers. Oregon has pledged $15 million, while California is planning to hand out $40 million. (The Maryland legislature created a $3.5 million fund to train new providers, but Republican Gov. Larry Hogan has withheld the money.) A new California law also bars private insurers from demanding copays for abortion care, and the state’s forthcoming abortion fund will cover out-of-pocket costs for patients on Medicaid.
In May, Connecticut passed a sweeping law that allows targets of anti-abortion lawsuits to countersue and collect both damages and attorneys’ fees. The measure also bars state officials from investigating health care professionals who are accused of violating other states’ abortion restrictions as long as they adhere to Connecticut law. And it prohibits the governor from extraditing an individual to another state for performing or “abetting” an abortion that’s legal in Connecticut. Washington state has passed similar legislation, and other liberal jurisdictions, including the District of Columbia, will soon follow suit.
In April, [Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer] asked the state’s left-leaning Supreme Court to declare that the Michigan Constitution guarantees a right to abortion. If it agrees, the [state's] 1931 ban would remain unenforceable after Roe is overturned. And, in fact, abortion might become more accessible in Michigan, as the state Supreme Court may well strike down a series of existing, draconian restrictions that were not previously challenged under the state constitution. Abortion advocates have also challenged the 1931 law in a separate suit, and last week, a Court of Claims judge barred its enforcement—a decision the Democratic attorney general will not appeal.
[Arizona] activists have filed a ballot initiative that would amend the state constitution to guarantee a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom.” They’ll need to collect 356,000 valid signatures by July 7 to get the amendment on the ballot, a grueling, uphill climb. If they prevail, though, abortion will become vastly more accessible in Arizona than it is today, as the amendment would likely invalidate a slew of stringent restrictions that the courts have allowed even under Roe.
This is the irony of our current moment: The most immediate impact of the Supreme Court’s imminent assault on abortion rights has been … an expansion of abortion rights.
(from Slate)
But what about blue and purple states, where a majority of the country resides? These states are about to become the chief battleground for reproductive freedom. And while the post-Roe future is not even here quite yet, progressives are doing a remarkably good job preparing for the next phase of the fight.
Indeed, one irony of Roe’s demise is that it has prompted many of these states to make abortions easier and cheaper to obtain. The Supreme Court’s hard-right turn has had the unintended consequence of making abortions much more accessible in many parts of the country.
Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, and Washington state have passed legislation allowing a broader range of medical providers to prescribe or perform abortions, such as advanced practice registered nurses, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, or physician assistants. They’ve joined about a dozen states that already permit health care providers other than physicians to help patients terminate a pregnancy.
New York is doling out $25 million to help clinics expand their capacity by, among other things, training new providers. Oregon has pledged $15 million, while California is planning to hand out $40 million. (The Maryland legislature created a $3.5 million fund to train new providers, but Republican Gov. Larry Hogan has withheld the money.) A new California law also bars private insurers from demanding copays for abortion care, and the state’s forthcoming abortion fund will cover out-of-pocket costs for patients on Medicaid.
In May, Connecticut passed a sweeping law that allows targets of anti-abortion lawsuits to countersue and collect both damages and attorneys’ fees. The measure also bars state officials from investigating health care professionals who are accused of violating other states’ abortion restrictions as long as they adhere to Connecticut law. And it prohibits the governor from extraditing an individual to another state for performing or “abetting” an abortion that’s legal in Connecticut. Washington state has passed similar legislation, and other liberal jurisdictions, including the District of Columbia, will soon follow suit.
In April, [Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer] asked the state’s left-leaning Supreme Court to declare that the Michigan Constitution guarantees a right to abortion. If it agrees, the [state's] 1931 ban would remain unenforceable after Roe is overturned. And, in fact, abortion might become more accessible in Michigan, as the state Supreme Court may well strike down a series of existing, draconian restrictions that were not previously challenged under the state constitution. Abortion advocates have also challenged the 1931 law in a separate suit, and last week, a Court of Claims judge barred its enforcement—a decision the Democratic attorney general will not appeal.
[Arizona] activists have filed a ballot initiative that would amend the state constitution to guarantee a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom.” They’ll need to collect 356,000 valid signatures by July 7 to get the amendment on the ballot, a grueling, uphill climb. If they prevail, though, abortion will become vastly more accessible in Arizona than it is today, as the amendment would likely invalidate a slew of stringent restrictions that the courts have allowed even under Roe.
This is the irony of our current moment: The most immediate impact of the Supreme Court’s imminent assault on abortion rights has been … an expansion of abortion rights.
