GOP-Led Legislatures in More Than Half of U.S. States Are Trying to Ban Abortion

With the 49th anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade case coming up, several organizations across the nation including Florida are planning to make an example by protesting various abortions bans that threaten women’s reproductive freedom.

"Republicans have decided that they are going to your OB-GYN appointment with you when they made this ban."

Currently, 26 states are certain or likely to go forth with an abortion ban, Jessica Post, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, said at a virtual press conference Thursday.

Just recently, the Florida Legislature proposed a 15-week abortion ban bill that passed in its first committee hearing this week in the state Capitol.

In other states, Republican legislators are pushing the same agenda — to create new abortion bans or even make abortions illegal.

Texas has already made it hard for women to get abortions under an anti-abortion law considered as one of the most restrictive in the nation.

Ann Johnson, a Texas lawmaker in the House of Representatives said during the virtual press conference Thursday that women in Texas aren’t protected at all.

“Republicans have decided that they are going to your OB-GYN appointment with you when they made this ban,” Johnson said.

Florida isn’t the only state dealing with proposed abortion bans, but Democrats across the nation are doing everything they can to make sure these bans won’t pass.

“We know when Republicans overreach there’s a backlash,” said Post, of the DLCC.

Arizona also has a proposed 15-week ban that is currently moving through the state’s Legislature.

Arizona has several anti-abortion laws on the books dating back to 1901. Last year, Arizona governor Doug Ducey signed a bill that would give personhood to a fetus before it is born, making it illegal for the mother to take action if they choose to abort. This law is currently being challenged in the courts.

Republicans in Arizona and across the country have chipped away at abortion rights for decades because of these laws, and Arizona has only nine licensed abortion providers,“ Arizona Senate Minority Leader Rebecca Rios said at the virtual press conference.

Although it may seem like the fate of abortion rights is out of our control, that’s not true” Rios said.

Democrats are hoping they can make it to the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Jan. 22, 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing a woman’s right to choose whether to have an abortion.