Voters in California, Michigan, and Vermont have made their stance on abortion access clear.
During the 2022 midterm elections on Tuesday (November 8), voters in all three states approved constitutional amendments codifying the right to an abortion. These amendments were presented as ballot proposals, allowing each voter who showed up to the polls to weigh in directly.
A similar referendum in Kansas was unfortunately shot down.
The news is major given this year’s shocking reversal of Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court ruling that protected abortion access federally for more than 40 years. With Roe no longer in play, states now have the power to restrict or ban abortions — and some, including Texas, Alabama, Idaho, and Arkansas, already have. In fact, a recent study found that one-third of pregnant Americans now have to travel more than an hour away to reach their nearest abortion provider.
The amendment to Michigan’s state constitution will likely have the most immediate effect. After Roe was overturned, conservatives in the Great Lake State attempted to enforce an archaic abortion ban from 1931. It was temporarily blocked by Michigan’s Supreme Court — and now that voters made their voices heard by approving the ballot referendum, the law cannot be enforced.
In a press conference on Tuesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a pro-choice Democrat who won his bid for reelection, said it was “a point of pride” that abortion access is now protected in the Golden State’s constitution.
“It’s a point of principle and it’s a point of contrast at a time of such mixed results all across this country,” he added, per The New York Times.
Ahead of the midterms, many politicians latched on to reproductive justice as a wedge issue. Despite the claims of so-called “pro-lifers,” abortions are safe, common procedures. Making the choice to end a pregnancy should never be a source of fear or shame.
President Joe Biden previously vowed to codify abortion access federally if Democrats voted in more senators and maintained control of the House. Many congressional races have yet to be called, so it is unclear where each party stands. In the meantime, amendments to state constitutions could be a solid strategy for defending against future attacks on people’s reproductive autonomy.
Before you go, check out the types of orgasms you probably didn’t know you could have:
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