• Advertise
  • Donate
  • Subscribe
    • Become a print subscriber
    • Sign up for e-Newsletter
    • e-Editions
Thursday, June 1, 2023
No Result
View All Result
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
  • News & Features
    • National
    • Local
    • Special Editions
      • MLK Legacy
      • Black History Month
      • The MSR Celebrates Women’s History Month
  • All Sections
    • Opinion
      • Mellaneous by Mel Reeves
      • Word on the Street
      • Reaching Out From Within
    • Health + Wellness
      • Minnesota Cancer Alliance Breast Cancer Gaps Project
    • Sports
      • Timberwolves/NBA
      • Lynx/WNBA
        • 20 in 20
      • Twins/MLB
      • MN Wild/NHL
      • Vikings/NFL
    • Business
      • Small Business Month Celebration
      • Black Business Spotlight
      • Finances FYI
    • Arts + Culture
    • Photo Galleries
    • MSR Forefront Digital Roundtable Series
      • MSR Forefront Highlights
    • Go Green
    • Education
    • Bulletin
    • Jobs & Opportunities
      • Legals
  • Events
    • Submit an event!
  • Obits
  • Sister Spokesman
  • e-Editions
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
  • News & Features
    • National
    • Local
    • Special Editions
      • MLK Legacy
      • Black History Month
      • The MSR Celebrates Women’s History Month
  • All Sections
    • Opinion
      • Mellaneous by Mel Reeves
      • Word on the Street
      • Reaching Out From Within
    • Health + Wellness
      • Minnesota Cancer Alliance Breast Cancer Gaps Project
    • Sports
      • Timberwolves/NBA
      • Lynx/WNBA
        • 20 in 20
      • Twins/MLB
      • MN Wild/NHL
      • Vikings/NFL
    • Business
      • Small Business Month Celebration
      • Black Business Spotlight
      • Finances FYI
    • Arts + Culture
    • Photo Galleries
    • MSR Forefront Digital Roundtable Series
      • MSR Forefront Highlights
    • Go Green
    • Education
    • Bulletin
    • Jobs & Opportunities
      • Legals
  • Events
    • Submit an event!
  • Obits
  • Sister Spokesman
  • e-Editions
No Result
View All Result
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
No Result
View All Result

In first nationwide election since Roe was overturned, voters opt to protect abortion access

by Linda C. McClain
November 10, 2022
16
SHARES
326
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on LinkedIn
Voters in Michigan said ‘yes’ to Prop 3, a ballot protecting abortion rights. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

The first major election since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade saw abortion rights on the ballot in a record number of states. The outcomes of these initiatives suggest that when Kansas voters in August 2022 rejected a proposed constitutional amendment declaring there is no state right to abortion, it was not a fluke.

Indeed, results following the close of polls on Nov. 8 revealed that voters in Kentucky had followed suit and rejected a similar constitutional amendment. And in three other states—California, Michigan and Vermont—voters approved constitutional amendments to safeguard abortion access as part of a broader protection of personal reproductive autonomy, including contraception. In Vermont, the margin of victory was sweeping: 77.2% to 22.8%, with 95% of votes in.

In Montana, where restrictive abortion laws already prohibit post-viability abortions—that is, those after 24 weeks of pregnancy—voters rejected a referendum that threatened doctors with criminal penalties of up to 20 years in prison if they did not try to sustain the life of a fetus “born alive” after an abortion.

All told, the outcome of the initiatives underscores the crucial role of state law after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs ruling returned the issue of abortion access back to “the people” and the states.

Abortion on the ballot and the campaign trail

But abortion was also “on the ballot” indirectly – in key state and federal elections in which abortion appeared to have been a campaign issue.

- ADVERTISEMENT -

In Pennsylvania, Democrat Josh Shapiro, the state’s Attorney General, won the race for governor over Republican Doug Mastriano, and Democrat John Fetterman defeated Dr. Mehmet Oz for the available U.S. Senate seat. Access to abortion care and protecting abortion rights were key themes in Shapiro’s campaign, while Mastriano stressed culture war issues. Commentary and exit polling suggest that abortion was a motivating issue among Pennsylvania voters—especially younger voters.

In New York, where Governor Kathy Hochul defeated Republican challenger Lee Zeldin, the Democrat incumbent billed herself as “the reason why abortion is protected in New York” and stressed a governor’s “immense” power to affect abortion rights.

Exit polls indicate 60% of voters nationwide—up 9% since 2020—believe that abortion should be legal in all or most cases.

A majority – 60% – of voters expressed anger at the Supreme Court over the Dobbs ruling and indicated that they trusted the Democratic Party more than the Republican Party on the issue by a margin of 52% to 42%. These sentiments played out in the election results. For example, in New Hampshire, Democrat Maggie Hassan held onto her Senate seat against a Republican challenger, Don Bolduc, who called the Dobbs ruling a reason to “rejoice.” And 35% of New Hampshire voters said abortion was their top issue, behind only inflation at 36%. Polls also show a gender gap, with more women than men reporting abortion as their top issue.

More state battles over abortion?

Ballot initiatives are likely to continue into the 2024 presidential election given voters’ response on Tuesday. The midterm elections point toward protecting access to abortion, more so than preelection polls suggested they would.

- ADVERTISEMENT -

As of this writing, the House and Senate hang in the balance, yet federal bills that would protect or restrict access to abortion were already unlikely to become laws given that the Supreme Court has indicated states should decide their own laws. This means state laws remain on the front line, and the midterm election was just a “hold the line” moment.

Most states have not yet had legislative sessions or elections, and most candidacies were declared before Dobbs was decided. The midterm elections didn’t make the landscape worse for access to care – indeed, the right to abortion care was expanded, or least protected in some places. But the high variability of state laws will mean that conflicts continue both among states, and between states and the federal government.

Patient and provider confusion will likely continue, given the high degree of state law variability, which will limit access to care and increase risks in some states.

Linda C. McClain, professor of law, Boston University, and Nicole Huberfeld, Edward R. Utley professor of health law and professor of law, Boston University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

- ADVERTISEMENT -

Support Black local news

Help amplify Black voices by donating to the MSR. Your contribution enables critical coverage of issues affecting the community and empowers authentic storytelling.

Donate Now!

ADVERTISEMENT
Previous Post

Winter is coming: help for higher heating bills in MN

Next Post

‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’—a masterful tribute and story

Linda C. McClain

You Might Also Like

Poll shows affirmative action supported by majority of Americans ahead of Supreme Court ruling
Featured

Poll shows affirmative action supported by majority of Americans ahead of Supreme Court ruling

Clarence Thomas does not belong on the Supreme Court 
Opinion

Clarence Thomas does not belong on the Supreme Court 

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas moves to reverse the legacy of his predecessor, Thurgood Marshall
National

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas moves to reverse the legacy of his predecessor, Thurgood Marshall

New state senator champions women’s rights
Local

New state senator champions women’s rights

supreme court
Opinion

Using ‘race’ to challenge Native sovereignty

MN election brings clarity to future of abortion policy
Local

MN election brings clarity to future of abortion policy

Next Post
‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’—a masterful tribute and story

'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever'—a masterful tribute and story

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
ADVERTISEMENT

The Latest News

Know your operator: Lee Estis

Know your operator: Lee Estis

Bees can learn, remember, think and make decisions

Bees can learn, remember, think and make decisions

Black woman shopping for produce

The impact of food insecurity on Black women’s mental health

Plenty of action at St. Paul City Conference track and field meet

Plenty of action at St. Paul City Conference track and field meet

 Lynx rookie forward finds much to learn

 Lynx rookie forward finds much to learn

Call of the wild: Hunting for edible mushrooms is not just a White man’s hobby 

Call of the wild: Hunting for edible mushrooms is not just a White man’s hobby 

Minneapolis
◉
88°
Fair
5:29 am8:52 pm CDT
FriSatSunMonTue
88/66°F
90/68°F
91/70°F
90/63°F
86/59°F
Weather forecast Minneapolis, Minnesota ▸
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Upcoming Events

Apr 6
April 6 @ 7:30 pm-June 3 @ 9:00 pm Recurring

Wit by Margaret Edson

Apr 14
April 14 @ 9:00 am-August 12 @ 5:00 pm

Paper Is People: Decolonizing Global Paper Cultures

Jun 1
10:00 am-4:00 pm Recurring

Preserving Nature Photos by Walter Griffin: REFLECTIONS

Jun 1
5:00 pm-7:00 pm

Metro State University one 1 Open House

View Calendar

Read our latest e-Edition!

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Subscribe

  • Home/Office Delivery
  • Weekly e-newsletter
  • e-Editions

Support

  • Donate
  • Subscribe
  • MSR Newsstand Locations

Connect

  • About
    • MSR Staff
  • Contact
  • Send a news tip
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms

© 2023 Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

No Result
View All Result
  • News & Features
    • Local
    • National
  • All Sections
    • Arts & Culture
    • Health & Wellness
      • MN Cancer Alliance Breast Cancer Gaps Project
    • Business
      • Black Business Spotlight
      • Finances FYI
      • Small Business Month Celebration
    • Opinion
    • Sports
  • Events
  • Obits
  • Sister Spokesman
  • Donate
  • Subscribe

© 2023 Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder