Good afternoon,
Here's the latest from rural America...
IN WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT ELECTION ABORTION SPARKING YOUTH VOTE, CHANGING ELECTION OUTCOMES AND MAPS
Last week, a record number of voters turned out for Wisconsin's state Supreme Court election that put Janet Protasiewicz on the bench. This win flips control of the court to a liberal majority for the first time in 15 years.
While Protasiewicz was branded as a liberal in the general election, it was her common sense reading of the law that appealed to Wisconsinites on a variety of issues, from gerrymandering to gun access to voting rights -- but the biggest driving force behind the result was abortion.
GOP anti-abortion policies in the wake of Roe v. Wade's overturn turned out to be a severe political miscalculation: where abortion access is on the ballot, voters are turning out in droves and <a href="[link removed]">changing their states' election maps</a>. Last week, Protasiewicz carried 27 counties, growing Biden's 2020 14 county advantage in suburban areas around metro areas.
OCP board member and Wisconsin Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski joined <a href="[link removed]">Hot Dish podcast</a> host Joel Heitkamp on <a href="[link removed]">KFGO</a> to emphasize how the fight for abortion rights <a href="[link removed]">"has only gotten stronger"</a> as a motivating issue for Wisconsinites.
It's a particularly motivating factor for young voters and college students, who carried the counties of Eau Claire, La Crosse, and Brown, which are home to University of Wisconsin campuses. Brown, seat of UW-Green Bay, normally leans Republican in statewide elections. Protasiewicz won about <a href="[link removed]">85 percent</a> of the campus' vote to propel her to win <a href="[link removed]">52 percent</a> of the county.
The map of abortion access continues to evolve. Beyond the ballot, abortion medication continues to be a contentious topic across the country.
A federal judge in Texas <a href="[link removed]">blocked</a> U.S. government approval of mifepristone, a key abortion medication, late Friday, siding against abortion advocates in an unprecedented lawsuit.
In a competing opinion a short time later, another federal judge in <a href="[link removed]">Washington</a> ruled in a separate case that the drug is safe and effective, and ordered the FDA to preserve access.
The dueling decisions are likely to go to the Supreme Court for resolution -- the same Court that issued the Dobbs ruling.
This afternoon, Vice President Kamala Harris convened the <a href="[link removed]">Task Force on Reproductive Healthcare Access</a> to continue the administration's efforts to safeguard patient privacy and protect women's health in the wake of Friday's decision that <a href="[link removed]">took away</a> women's basic freedoms.
OCP CONDEMS EXPULSION OF TWO TENNESSEE HOUSE DEMS
In a blatant assault on the democratic process, the Tennessee House of Representatives <a href="[link removed]">expelled</a> State Reps. <a href="[link removed]">Justin Jones</a> and <a href="[link removed]">Justin Pearson</a> -- both Black men -- from the chamber after participating in a gun reform protest at the statehouse a week prior.
Rep. Gloria Johnson -- a white woman -- survived her expulsion vote as some Republican members defected to vote against the expulsion resolution. While Reps. Jones and Pearson have now been <a href="[link removed]">reinstated</a>, we simply cannot condone this sort of naked abuse of power by the Republican supermajority in Tennessee -- or in any other state. Read OCP's full statement <a href="[link removed]">here</a>.
MEDICAID COVERAGE RECEDES
Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, New Hampshire, and South Dakota have recently started to terminate pandemic-era <a href="[link removed]">Medicaid coverage</a>.
Children, young adults, Black, and Latinx people will be <a href="[link removed]">most affected</a> -- and risk being unable to pick up medications or access treatment for chronic conditions.
Medicaid coverage saves lives -- during a four-year period, <a href="[link removed]">19,200 more adults</a> aged 55 to 65 survived thanks to expanded Medicaid coverage, and nearly 16,000 more would have lived if that coverage was <a href="[link removed]">extended</a> nationwide.
Yet many seniors who are Medicaid beneficiaries are increasingly <a href="[link removed]">getting evicted</a> from assisted-living facilities, while pandemic-induced economic conditions <a href="[link removed]">increased</a> the number of seniors relying on Medicaid for long-term care and the number of seniors in America continues to grow. Chronically insufficient Medicaid funding is failing to keep up with the rising costs of care -- and Americans of all ages are losing access to crucial healthcare as a result.
ECONOMIC UPDATE
The <a href="[link removed]">March CPI data</a> released today shows encouraging signs of cooling inflation, marking the lowest inflation rate in nearly two years. Paired with last week's <a href="[link removed]">jobs report</a> that observed an addition of 236,000 jobs, this news provides hope for a positive economic outlook for hardworking Americans.
However, OPEC's decision to cut oil production <a href="[link removed]">increased gas prices</a> and Republican lawmakers' plan to cut funding for programs such as the <a href="[link removed]">Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)</a> are threatening to disrupt the country's historic post-pandemic recovery and increase pressures on rural Americans battling stubbornly high costs of living.
ONE COUNTRY IN THE NEWS
OCP founder Heidi Heitkamp spoke at the <a href="[link removed]">National Council of Textiles Organizations (NCTO) annual meeting</a> to discuss domestic manufacturing.
OCP board member and WI Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski was elected Chair of the Board of the <a href="[link removed]">Wisconsin Board of Commissioner of Public Lands (BCPL)</a>.
OCP board member Anthony Daniels discussed California Governor Gavin Newsom's <a href="[link removed]">tour of red states</a>, which included a visit to Alabama.
ICYMI
Kaiser Health News: <a href="[link removed]">Doctor shortages distress rural America, where few residency programs exist</a>
The Washington Post: <a href="[link removed]">Can I still get a medication abortion?</a>
The Daily Yonder: <a href="[link removed]">Lack of Access to Infrastructure Hurts Voter Participation in Rural America</a>
MPR News: <a href="[link removed]">Indigenous farmers, farmers of color want a better deal from new farm bill</a>
New York Times: <a href="[link removed]">House G.O.P.'s Plan to Cut Food Stamps Faces a Tough Vote</a>
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