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Weekly Digest
Letter from an Editor | April 13, 2024
Dear John,
Arizona is what you get when you “leave it to the states” to set abortion laws: the Arizona Supreme Court decided to wind back the clock to the 19th century and resurrect an 1864 (pre-statehood, and pre-women’s right to vote!) ban on abortion with no exceptions for rape, incest or health. The only exception is when a woman is close to death.
The law did not immediately go into effect—the Court’s ruling is temporarily on hold for two weeks while a lower court hears further arguments, and there is an additional 45-day delay before enforcement.
Abortion providers in the state, hoping for an emergency legislative intervention, vowed to continue providing abortions until they are forced to stop. But such hopes are shaky. When the Arizona House met Wednesday night, Democrats and at least one Republican attempted to open discussion on a repeal of the 1864 abortion ban—but Republican leadership quickly cut off the discussion and adjourned the session for the week, to chants of “Shame! Shame!” from the outraged Democrats.
“We’ve got the eyes of the world watching Arizona right now,” said Democratic state Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton of Tucson Wednesday night, per AP. “We know that the Supreme Court decision yesterday is extreme. And we know that should the 1864 ban on abortion remain a law in Arizona, people will die.” Fortunately, the state’s Democratic Attorney General, as well as a number of prosecutors and sheriffs in the state have vowed to not enforce the law.
Abortion rights advocates in the state say they have obtained the signatures needed to place a measure on the November ballot that, if passed, would enshrine the right to abortion in the state’s constitution. Such measures have proved overwhelmingly popular when put forward in other states: Michigan, Kansas, California and Ohio have all passed similar proposals with overwhelming majorities.
In battleground states like Arizona, abortion could be a deciding issue in this fall’s presidential and congressional elections. And in states where abortion rights have been rolled back, the federal Equal Rights Amendment—if added to the constitution—offers a path forward for restoring reproductive rights. In Nevada and Pennsylvania, advocates have successfully argued that state Equal Rights Amendments can be used to defend Medicaid funding for abortions. If state-level ERAs can do this much, imagine the power of a successfully implemented federal ERA!
Fortunately for people in Arizona and across the country, women do now have the right to vote—and we intend to use it.
Onward,
[[link removed]]
Kathy Spillar
Executive Editor
This Week's Must-Reads from Ms.
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Trump’s Abortion Position, Explained [[link removed]] The Arizona Supreme Court Winds Back the Clock to 1864: ‘The Eyes of the World Are Watching’ [[link removed]]
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Why the ‘Tradwife’ Life Is More Dangerous Than Ever Before [[link removed]] It’s Tax Season. Who’s Budgeting for Women’s Futures? [[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 this episode, we’re joined by the indomitable Lizz Winstead with a live studio in Washington, D.C. She bares all as we talk about the new documentary featuring her and Abortion Access Front (AAF), No One Asked You. From her childhood to her own abortion story, she tells it all, including what led her to found AAF.
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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