Despite the recent reelection of Donald Trump, who is responsible for appointing the Supreme Court justices that overturned Roe v. Wade, voters in multiple states are attempting to enshrine abortion rights into their constitutions.
Jessica Winter writes about these attempts in states with very restrictive abortion policies — including Ohio, Florida, Georgia, Arkansas and Tennessee — in “Can Direct Democracy Save Abortion Rights?” an article in The New Yorker featuring Katie Kraschel, WGSS executive committee member and Professor of Law at Northeastern University.
“From an advocacy perspective, there are some states where the situation is sufficiently dire that ballot initiatives are a direct way to get people access,” said Kraschel. “If those initiatives are successful, people are going to receive life-saving care in those states,” she added.
Even in states where measures passed, such as Missouri and Arkansas, lawmakers and politicians continue to enforce abortion bans. More needs to be done to protect these rights, Winter and Kraschel argue.
“Our Constitution should have some floor of liberties in order for all of us to be meaningfully able to participate in democracy. We should still want a federal Constitution that protects our right to reproductive autonomy.”
Katie Kraschel, WGSS executive committee member and assistant professor of law and health sciences at Northeastern University School of Law.
Read the full article here.
