There's no other way to put it: 2022 is going to be a make-or-break year in the fight for abortion access.

The Supreme Court let Texas's abortion ban take effect, which has inspired copycat bills across the country from state politicians eager to strip away our rights. Fortunately, no additional Texas‑style abortion bans have passed into law yet, but enthusiasm among many state lawmakers to pass these radical bans remains high.

Just look at what they did last year:

In 2021, states enacted more than 100 abortion restrictions — the most ever. Yes, Texas — but also Montana, New Hampshire, Arizona, South Dakota, Arkansas, Idaho, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Alaska, Kansas, Alabama, Wyoming, Louisiana, and West Virginia. Like Texas, some of these states banned abortion early in pregnancy, but some also have additional barriers — including medically unnecessary restrictions on abortion providers, limits on insurance coverage for abortion, restrictions for medication abortion, and more.

If you're thinking, okay, they did all that last year, so shouldn't 2022 be better? — I completely understand. But two things you need to know as state legislative sessions kick off in states across the country:

1. Legislators in four states pre-filed Texas‑style abortion bans late last year so they will already be up for consideration early this year as legislatures reconvene. They've been planning for months to ensure that abortion restrictions would be on the agenda in 2022.
2. Restricting abortion is part of a larger campaign to roll back our rights. It isn't only about literally restricting abortion (though some lawmakers have done an "incredible" job of that already in these states). It's politics. It's about self-serving lawmakers keeping a segment of voters engaged. (All while the vast majority of voters still support safe, legal abortion!) And with midterm elections coming up, you better believe these lawmakers — who have very little to offer people — are planning to double down on this strategy to turn out their base.

So, what do we do about it? I wish the answer was simple. It's not. That's not to say we can't get out of this mess. We can, we must, and we will. But I refuse to sugarcoat this: The year ahead is going to be unprecedented when it comes to the threat to Roe v. Wade and our reproductive and civil rights.

Here are a few things that can help:

Federal legislation that protects abortion

	Here's the deal: We need the Senate to pass the Women's Health Protection Act (WHPA) to protect the right to abortion in this country. It's clear we can no longer count on the Supreme Court since they let Texas's S.B. 8 remain in effect. Call your senators and urge them to pass the Women's Health Protection Act.

Reform our democracy and protect our right to vote

We also need the Senate to pass critical voting rights legislation. As long as politicians have more control over who their voters are than voters do over them, their views will keep becoming law. Like S.B. 8 in Texas, which bans a majority of abortions. Congress needs to use every lever at its disposal to pass laws that protect and advance our fundamental rights to vote and to bodily autonomy. Find ways to take action on our website.

Building our power across the country

There are no "anti-abortion states" or "pro‑abortion states," much as it may feel that way sometimes. In fact, there is no state in the nation where banning abortion is popular — yet 26 states could quickly move to ban abortion if the Supreme Court guts Roe v. Wade. Why the difference? Because so many of those states are currently controlled — in some cases narrowly — by lawmakers who oppose abortion rights. To remove them from power and elect leaders who represent their constituent's actual views on abortion, we must continue building political power in those states. And let's not forget that last year, abortion restrictions were filed in almost every single state — 47, to be exact. There is critical work to be done all across the country, no matter where you live, to expand and protect our reproductive health and rights

We'll be in touch as specific fights heat up this year. We will be asking for your support. We will be asking you to show up. We'll also ask you to reach out to friends to get them engaged as well by asking them to check out our top actions to take right now.

For now, I just needed you to know what we're staring down this year, particularly all the state-level attacks on abortion access we know are coming, including those Texas‑style bans that are already up for consideration in Alabama, Ohio, Florida, and Missouri! And to point out that to win these fights long term, we need democratic reforms at the federal level.

I couldn't be more grateful to have you fighting with us this year. Thank you for reading my message and taking it to heart.

Onward,