Dear John,

While it’s been a long six weeks since the fall of Roe – and the disastrous headlines in its wake – today, I invite you to join me in taking a moment to be present for the incredible victories for abortion access and reproductive freedom that have happened since then.

Abortion advocates, voters, and elected leaders who support reproductive freedom have come out in force, ramping up their efforts in line with the overwhelming popular support for abortion access. And we couldn’t be prouder to partner with many of those who have been fighting and winning these past few weeks.

Earlier this week, voters in Kansas came out definitively for reproductive freedom in the first post-Roe vote specifically on abortion. By rejecting a constitutional amendment that would have eliminated the right to abortion in the state constitution, Kansans stood up for their right to decide what is best for their own bodies, lives, and futures – and affirmed that those who oppose abortion are vastly outnumbered. NIRH applauds this victory and the work of past Kansas partner Trust Women for the critical role they played in shutting down this ballot measure.

And Kansas isn’t the only place we’ve seen a real win.

In Massachusetts, longtime NIRH partner Reproductive Equity Now championed the passage of a historic bill enshrining protections for reproductive freedom and gender-affirming care.

New Jersey passed a budget setting aside $45 million for reproductive health services and state legislators introduced a bill to make abortion more affordable and accessible. Both the budget and the bill are thanks to the hard work of current NIRH partners Cherry Hill Women’s Health, NCJW Essex County, and Planned Parenthood Action Fund New Jersey, as well as past partner New Jersey Policy Perspectives and Thrive NJ.

Atlanta, Georgia passed a resolution for a $300,000 donation to support Access Reproductive Care-Southeast, an organization that provides financial and practical support to people seeking abortion care, including out-of-state travel. Working closely with the coalition Amplify GA, NIRH saw firsthand how the coalition created grassroots support for the effort and built upon NIRH’s long history of working on the local level in Atlanta, utilizing NIRH’s Local Reproductive Freedom Index and creating the reproductive justice commission.

The San Antonio, Texas City Council passed a resolution to support abortion access by recommending city money not be spent on prosecuting abortions.

The Board of Aldermen in St. Louis, Missouri passed a bill allocating $3 million in American Rescue Plan funds toward the creation of a Reproductive Equity Fund and COVID-19 relief. The bill marks the culmination of NIRH’s work with former partner Pro-Choice Missouri, who led the effort to secure the funding aimed at mitigating the economic and public health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Ohio – where NIRH has worked with advocates on state and local strategies for years – the Cleveland City Council and Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb are seeking to cover travel expenses for city residents and employees in need of legal, out-of-state abortion through a $100,000 Reproductive Freedom Fund. And in Columbus,the City Council set aside $500,000 to fund the Ohio Women’s Alliance and Abortion Fund of Ohio and their efforts supporting reproductive healthcare.

New York passed an equal rights amendment to protect New Yorkers from discrimination based on pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, or in their reproductive health care and autonomy; and New York City launched a public education campaign about the dangers of crisis pregnancy centers, passed a measure requiring NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene facilities to offer medication abortions, and hired the first patient navigator specifically for abortion care at public hospitals.

It might not feel like it when you’re reading the news, but this movement has real momentum at the state and local levels. We are the majority – by a lot. We are on the right side of history. And we will never stop working toward a future where everyone can make choices about their own bodies and lives.

Thank you for being part of this fight with us. We couldn’t do it without you.

In solidarity,

ANDREA MILLER

President
NIRH & NIRH Action Fund

P.S. For details on these wins and more, read our press release here.

National Institute for Reproductive Health
14 Wall St
Suite 3B
New York, NY 10005
United States

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