The moment we’ve been fighting against for 49 years is here.
Last night, Politico released a copy of the leaked draft ruling, which will overturn outright both the Roe v. Wade and Casey v. Planned Parenthood decisions protecting the right to abortion. To say this is a disaster for American women, especially women of color, low-income and rural women, is an understatement.
If you have the stomach to read it, you can find it online here. It’s a very long, self-righteous, pedantic screed against abortion, with no concern for women’s lives whatsoever.
This is judicial activism at it’s worst.
National NOW is taking action
NOW is urging activists to get back to the grass roots: pick up the phone, call your networks, call your elected representatives.
Priority: The Women’s Health Protection Act was passed by the U.S. House, but awaits action in the Senate, where there are at least 52 votes in favor of this bill which will enact Roe protections into federal law. The bill was sent to the Judiciary committee, where NC Senator Thom Tillis sits. Senate Leader, Chuck Shumer says he will bring the bill up for a vote this week, and you are urged to contact Senators Burr and Tillis to express your support for its passage.
Sen. Thom Tillis
113 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington D.C. 20510
(202) 224-6342
https://www.tillis.senate.gov
Sen. Richard Burr
217 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-3154 or (800) 685-8916
https://www.burr.senate.gov/email-me
… and so can you!
With the primaries underway, the most important thing right now is to elect pro-choice, pro-woman candidates across the ballot. Visit the League of Women Voters’ excellent website, Vote411.org to see who exactly will be on your ballot, and read comments from the candidates directly; the League does not edit or abridge their comments.
National NOW endorses federal candidates, and has already endorsed:
- Representative Deborah Ross, incumbant, NC-02
- Representative Alma Adams, incumbant, NC-09
Keep an eye on the NOW PAC website as more candidates are endorsed. NC NOW has recommended that NOW endorse Cheri Beasley in the U.S. Senate race.
Lillian’s List has a list of their endorsed candidates, all of whom are pro-choice.
Not a member yet?
Your membership helps support NOW’s efforts to protect women’s right to choose when and if to bear a child, access to reproductive healthcare and a constitutional amendment that would protect women from the continuing attacks on our freedom in this country. At the state level, your membership helps us fight laws that would harm women at the NC General Assembly. Sliding scale memberships are always available.
JOIN NOW
Notes:
In 2022 there have been over 536 restrictions introduced in 42 states and 28 restrictions passed at least one chamber in 11 states according to the Guttmacher Institute (https://www.guttmacher.org/) that chip away at or outright eradicates that most fundamental right for women: whether or not to bear a child.
The Columbia Law School Center for Gender and Sexuality Law is the home to three projects focused on cutting-edge law and policy relating to gender-based equality, religious liberty, and racial justice. Today it issued a statement with comments from all three. Here are some of the comments from the ERA Project; visit their website for more information about the Center:
Restrictions on abortion is a fundamental equality issue because:
- abortion is singled out for more onerous treatment than other medical procedures that carry similar or greater risks;
- restrictions further perpetuate harmful and discriminatory gender stereotypes that limit equal participation in society;
- abortion restrictions place a disproportionate burden on mothers as primary caregivers for children, causing structural inequality in the wage labor market and other sectors;
- they coerce pregnant people to assume the role and do the work of parenthood without addressing the emotional, financial, and other costs of compelled parenthood;
- lack of access to abortion disproportionately impacts low-income women, women of color, the LGBTQ community, immigrants, young women, women with disabilities and women living in rural areas who face overlapping barriers to health care, educational and economic opportunities, access to housing, job security, financial safety nets, and social and political equality.