[[link removed]] Weekly Digest
Weekly Digest
Letter from an Editor | November 11, 2023
Dear John,
Tuesday's election results confirm what feminists already knew: abortion isn’t just popular—it wins elections.
In Ohio on Tuesday, a majority of voters moved to enshrine the right to abortion in the state’s constitution, with nearly 57 percent voting to approve Issue 1. This victory, which follows a number of other states also approving similar measures, and striking down anti-abortion ones, comes despite a formidable Republican effort to undermine the measure. Most recently, a Republican elections board altered the ballot measure language from what appears in the actual amendment, including substituting the phrase “unborn child” for “fetus.”
Meanwhile in Virginia, Democrats captured majorities in both houses of the state legislature—managing not only to hold on to their senate majority, but retaking the House. Having control across both chambers will give them the power to stop Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s conservative agenda—which includes a proposed 15-week abortion ban, rescinding the state's ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, and a number of proposals restricting the rights of trans youth.
Other states where abortion was an issue in the campaigns also saw significant victories. In Kentucky, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear was reelected in an election against anti-abortion Republican challenger Daniel Cameron. And in Pennsylvania, Daniel McCaffery won a seat on the state’s supreme court over anti-abortion opponent Carolyn Carluccio.
This support for pro-abortion rights candidates and the Ohio ballot measure confirms what we already knew based on our polling in September. Per our poll, nearly three-quarters of voters support peoples’ rights to make their own reproductive health decisions without government interference—including when it comes to abortion. The 2024 general elections will be a referendum on abortion and women’s rights. As many as seven states are likely to have measures on their ballots that will impact abortion rights.
Abortion wins elections. Hopefully, this election’s results will spur other states where citizen initiatives are permitted to follow in Ohio’s footsteps and move to secure abortion rights in their state constitutions. The people are making their voices heard—and they support the right to abortion.
We also remain focused on the current fight over funding for childcare being waged in Congress. “If we don't act soon, the childcare crisis is going to keep getting worse—and it will continue hurting our economy in the process,” said Sen. Patty Murray in a statement. Stay tuned—we’ll be following this closely in the week ahead. And we'll be reporting on the Supreme Court's oral arguments in the Rahimi case, which could dramatically impact laws around gun violence by domestic violence offenders.
Onward,
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Kathy Spillar
Executive Editor
P.S. — Don’t forget to tune in Monday [[link removed]] to Ms.’s newest podcast—Torn Apart: Abolishing Family Policing and Reimagining Child Welfare with Prof. Dorothy Roberts. Join Roberts as she investigates how the U.S. child welfare system dismantles Black families—and how we can build a better alternative.
This Week's Must-Reads from Ms.
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2023 Election Results: Abortion Wins Big [[link removed]] ‘Torn Apart’: Ms. Magazine’s New Podcast Shows How the U.S. Welfare System Destroys Black Families [[link removed]]
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SCOTUS Will Decide Whether to Give Domestic Violence Abusers Access to Guns [[link removed]] United Nations Condemns U.S. Failure to Address Discrimination Against Women, Directs U.S. to Ratify ERA and CEDAW [[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]] .
People are mobilizing for labor rights—with major strikes taking place across industries from entertainment to healthcare and more. In this episode, we’re talking about why it’s important to fight for women workers—looking at the past, examining the present, and putting a focus on the future. We examine what’s at stake, including childcare, equal pay, and more.
We hope you'll listen, subscribe, rate and review today!
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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 .
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