What Mid-Term Results Mean for Abortion Rights
Our ability to access reproductive health services should not be a political issue, but, unfortunately, it often depends on the actions of politicians. The last milestones have their pros and cons.
Majority in Congress
Most anti-abortion politicians tend to run as Republicans. This means that most Republicans tend to restrict access to reproductive health services, especially abortion, as well as other reproductive issues such as affordable birth control.
Democrats won a majority in the House of Representatives, which means it will be nearly impossible to pass new federal law outlawing election. Rewire News has 219 supporters of the new House selection.
But since the Republicans retained control of the Senate, any electoral legislation that begins in the House of Representatives will be stopped here. The Senate will also likely continue to appoint judges and judges who want to overthrow Rowe .
Government changes and electoral measures
While the Roe v. Wade judgment ruled that states cannot outlaw abortion, several states have laws or amendments that should go into effect if Roe is canceled.
Alabama
59% of voters approved Amendment 2 , which states that the state will “recognize and support the integrity of the unborn life and the rights of the unborn, including the right to life,” and that the state constitution “does not protect the right to abortion or require funding for abortion.” The state already has a pre- Row abortion ban.
West Virginia
West Virginia also has a pre- Roy ban. This week, 52 percent of voters approved Amendment 1, which says that nothing in West Virginia’s constitution “provides or protects the right to abortion and does not require funding for abortion.”
New governors
In several states, Democratic governors replaced Republican governors, giving them the opportunity to veto laws prohibiting election:
- New Mexico Governor-elect Michelle Lujan Grisham wants to end pre-Rowe abortion ban and supports better access to contraception.
- Kansas Governor-elect Laura Kelly has not promised any new restrictions on abortion .
- Michigan Governor-elect Gretchen Whitmer issued a multi-pronged plan to protect reproductive rights, including repealing the 1931 state law criminalizing abortion.
Overall, the results are mixed. Nothing will change overnight, but the Senate majority is particularly worried about trying to fill open positions.
And one more thing: right after the midterm exams, the Department of Health and Human Services announced a new version of the rule, which it blocked last year, on birth control. Under the new rule, any employer could decide that they didn’t want their employees’ health plans to cover birth control. This is usually part of the mandatory prevention benefits that all plans must cover.