When it Comes to Abortion Access, The Fight Is In The States

The alarm bells are ringing. SCOTUS has officially stripped the right to privacy under Roe v. Wade. 

And Congress is not coming to save us. With a deeply divided Congress and an archaic filibuster in place, there is nothing coming out of Washington D.C. that is going to solve this problem, despite the best efforts of Congressional Democrats. 

That means it’s up to the states to fight to protect reproductive rights. This is going to be a long battle that spans across all 50 states.

In our recent survey, 3 out of 4 people reported being concerned about abortion access in their state — that’s 3 out of 4 New Englanders — an area of the country that most would assume is protected. And while some New England states have protected abortion access, it is not equal or guaranteed across our regions. (Find out how much you know about your state here!)

People are right to be concerned. More than half of New England respondents agree: the fight for abortion access should focus at the state level. This requires advocating, mobilizing, and organizing in our communities to get state legislators to prioritize reproductive rights. 

We know this approach works. We’ve done it. 

In Massachusetts, we’ve successfully ensured veto-proof, pro-choice majorities in the Massachusetts State House and State Senate. We passed the ROE Act in 2020 to codify the right to an abortion into state law. And just last week, the House took an enormous step to pass a package that will break down cost barriers to abortion access, simplify emergency contraception access, and protect our Massachusetts providers who offer critical abortion and gender affirming care. 

But this is not where our work ends. We must keep working to ensure our Beyond Roe Agenda becomes a reality. Massachusetts can be a beacon for reproductive freedom and it’s up to us to ensure every person has access to the reproductive health care they want.

So, while the SCOTUS ruling may feel defeating, the fight isn’t over. 

It’s time to take it to the states.