[[link removed]] Weekly Digest
Weekly Digest
Letter from an Editor | August 12, 2023
Dear John,
Tuesday night’s referendum in Ohio saw another decisive victory for the majority who support abortion rights: voters showed up in resounding numbers to reject a proposal that would have made it harder to pass future constitutional amendments—including one on the November ballot to add the guarantee of abortion rights to the state’s constitution.
The hastily scheduled off-year special election was yet another attempt by Republicans to curtail abortion access by changing the election rules and making it harder to pass Ohio ballot measures—but voters were having none of it. Voter turnout was nearly double that of the 2022 state primary elections—in which candidates for governor and U.S. senator were on the ballot. Per polling from the Associated Press last year, 59 percent of Ohio voters believe abortion should generally be legal.
“This measure was a blatant attempt to weaken voters’ voices and further erode the freedom of women to make their own healthcare decisions,” said President Joe Biden. “Ohioans spoke loud and clear, and tonight democracy won.” In November Ohioans must vote yes to enshrine abortion.
On the day of the Ohio special election, advocates in Arizona launched a signature-gathering drive to qualify a ballot measure for the 2024 election that would enshrine abortion rights in the state’s constitution. The proposed amendment declares that “Every individual has a fundamental right to abortion.”
Several other states besides Arizona, including Missouri, Florida, Maryland, and South Dakota, are likely to have similar measures on their November 2024 ballots. Given last year’s electoral victories—all seven states considering abortion measures came down on the pro-abortion rights side, including conservative strongholds like Kentucky and Kansas—the Ohio victory proves again that reproductive rights overwhelmingly matter to voters, especially women.
Last week saw another significant victory: a Texas judge ruled in favor of a group of doctors and women whose health and lives were imperiled as a result of the state’s abortion bans. The 15 plaintiffs, many of whom almost died because they were denied abortion care that would generally be standard in light of the grave pregnancy complications they experienced, are suing to block the state’s bans. The judge also ruled that the state’s notorious SB 8—the six-week abortion ban with the “bounty hunter” provision that allows citizens to sue anyone who aids and abets abortion—is unconstitutional.
The victory was unfortunately short-lived—the state of Texas immediately appealed the ruling to the state’s supreme court, and per Texas law, as soon as an appeal is filed, a ruling is stayed.
Despite bans and restrictions, support for abortion rights has only grown in the wake of the Dobbs decision’s overturn of Roe v. Wade —with 61 percent of American adults supporting abortion rights, per polling from PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist. These findings echo a poll from Ms . and the Feminist Majority Foundation in collaboration with Celinda Lake and Lake Research Partners—which found that ahead of last fall’s 2022 midterms, abortion and women’s rights were the most important issues for young women across nine battleground states. Among women of all ages, the poll found that abortion was tied with inflation as the most important issue.
Following the Ohio victory, Lake, who is advising the Ohio campaign, observed: “There had been some question about whether abortion had waned as a motivator — it certainly has not. I think this is a road map for 2024. It’s a road map to how we energize our voters.”
As we head into next year’s elections, it’s clear candidates with an abortion rights position have a distinct advantage—provided they campaign on it.
Onward,
[[link removed]]
Kathy Spillar
Executive Editor
This Week's Must-Reads from Ms.
[link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]]
Ohio Voters Are Showing Up to Protect Abortion Access [[link removed]] Advocates Launch Ballot Measure to Amend the Arizona Constitution to Protect Abortion Rights [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]]
Texas Judge Rules in Favor of Doctors and Women Who Testified to the Grave Harm of Abortion Bans [[link removed]] Domestic Abuse and Its Potential to Impact Elections: ‘Home Isn’t a Safe Place to Vote for Everyone’ [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]] Tune in for a new episode of Ms. magazine's podcast, On the Issues with Michele Goodwin on
Apple Podcasts [[link removed]] + Spotify [[link removed]] .
In early June 2023, for the second time in two months, Trump was indicted—this time on 37 felony counts for allegedly mishandling sensitive, classified government materials and obstruction of justice. What does this most recent indictment mean for Trump, the 2024 elections, and the future of American democracy as a whole?
We hope you'll listen, subscribe, rate and review today!
[link removed] [[link removed]]
U.S. democracy is at a dangerous inflection point—from the demise of abortion rights, to a lack of pay equity and parental leave, to skyrocketing maternal mortality, and attacks on trans health. Left unchecked, these crises will lead to wider gaps in political participation and representation. For 50 years, Ms . has been forging feminist journalism—reporting, rebelling and truth-telling from the front-lines, championing the Equal Rights Amendment, and centering the stories of those most impacted. With all that’s at stake for equality, we are redoubling our commitment for the next 50 years. In turn, we need your help, Support Ms. today with a donation—any amount that is meaningful to you [[link removed]] . We are grateful for your loyalty and ferocity .
READ THE REST [[link removed]] | GET THE MAGAZINE [[link removed]] | SUPPORT MS. [[link removed]]
[[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]]
Enjoy this newsletter? Forward to a friend!
Was this email forwarded to you by a friend? Subscribe [[link removed]] .

Ms. Magazine
1600 Wilson Boulevard
Suite 801
Arlington, VA 22209
United States
Manage your email subscriptions here [[link removed]]
If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please
unsubscribe: [link removed] .