According to a poll by the Associated Press andNORC, Democratic interest in making abortion rights a priority has surged in the next few years, as lawmakers across the country already start the year with new measures that would restrict and expand access to the procedure.
Protesters hold signs during the Women's March in Washington, DC.
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The AP/NORC poll found that 13% of Democrats listed abortion or reproductive rights as one of the top five issues they want the federal government to address.
Less than 1% of Democrats prioritized abortion in 2021, and 3% did so in 2020, though it still ranks behind other issues like Covid-19, the economy, healthcare and gun control.
The Women's Health Protection Act would codify abortion rights into federal law in order to circumvent state-level restrictions on the procedure.
The state of Florida has introduced a bill that would ban abortion after 15 weeks into a pregnant woman's uterus.
There are several restrictive state bills that have been introduced in the next few years, including an Oklahoma bill that would establish a government database of women seeking abortions and a New Hampshire law that prohibits abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy.
State efforts to pass bills that mimic Texas' near-total ban on abortion are expected to continue in 2022, with South Dakota Gov. Kirsti Noem and an Oklahoma state lawmaker saying in recent
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In the absence of federal action, other states are expanding access to abortion. The New Jersey legislature passed a law this week that codifies the right to an abortion into state law, meaning that it will remain legal even if the Supreme Court overturns it. Legislators in Maryland and Vermont will be taking up measures this year in favor of abortion rights, with Vermont considering an amendment to the state Constitution that would codify abortion rights.
The number is big.
There was a total of108. The Guttmacher Institute tracks the number of state-level abortion restrictions that are enacted each year, and this year was the most since 1973.
The key background.
The Supreme Court is considering a challenge to Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban. The court is considering whether states can limit abortions even before the fetus is viable, which would weaken or overturn the court's precedent in Wade and roll back abortion protections nationwide. The pending decision marks the culmination of a years-long effort by GOP lawmakers to pass abortion restrictions with an eye toward the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court allowed Texas' Senate Bill 8 to go into effect and effectively ban abortions in the state. The courts have largely backed up the litigation against the law, which is a good sign for other states to follow.
What to watch for.
The Mississippi case will be decided by the Supreme Court by the end of June, and key conservative justices on the court signaled during oral arguments that they may side with Mississippi. The Women's Health Protection Act passed the House, but it is almost certain that the Senate will not approve it.
The AP-NORC poll shows that abortion is a priority issue for Democrats.
How Americans Really Feel About Abortion: The Sometimes Surprising Poll Results.
A debate about abortion is motivating voters to vote.
Ahead of the Supreme Court ruling, Republican leaders in South Dakota and Florida pushed for restrictions on abortion.
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