Fifty years ago, Roe v. Wade made abortion legal across our country. Today is the one-year anniversary of the Dobbs ruling by the Supreme Court that overturned Roe v. Wade. With the ruling, the highest court lifted protections on abortions at the federal level and left it up to the states. Certain states, especially with GOP supermajorities, were quick to pass their own legislation to impose partial or total bans. Over the last year, it seems decades of precedent have been ignored and reproductive and women’s rights have been under assault. Half the states in our country have imposed some sort of restrictive abortion legislation since the Dobbs decision!
In Nebraska, the fight to repeal #LB574 will continue next month during a judicial review of the legitimacy of the bill and its violation of the “one subject” rule. With the recent victory in Arkansas, it seems the overreach by state GOP lawmakers will be tested as #LB574 was partly modeled on the Arkansas bill. The High Court’s decision paved the way for MAGA Republican governors and state legislatures to pass and enact extreme laws to outlaw abortion, threaten the medical community with penalties and prison time, and put women’s lives at risk.
Meanwhile, confidence in the highest court in the land is at an all-time low. With recent revelations of lavish trips, gifts, and favors given to multiple members of the Supreme Court, the call for a code of ethics has been greater than ever. It is time to consider a uniform set of “rules” for all associate justices who serve for life and have no oversight. Then, and only then, can confidence be restored to the federal bench.
There is good news. Recent polling by multiple academic and non-profit entities emphasizes what the majority of Americans and Nebraskans believe: everyone should have access to abortion care regardless of socioeconomic background. With the recent trend since the Dobbs ruling, the GOP is clearly moving away from what the majority of Democrats, independents, AND a good number of their OWN base believe in. We are confident the recent judicial win in Arkansas marks the beginning of reversing the attack on trans, women, and reproductive rights. We will follow our own fight to repeal #LB574 adamantly. We will also remind those in Nebraska who stood in the way of your bodies and your decisions.
The GOP presidential hopefuls who are running on extreme anti-choice records, Governor Pillen, our federal lawmakers, and GOP state senators all seem out of step with everyday Americans and Nebraskans. Our Democratic governors, attorney generals, state legislators, and party leaders seem to be the last line of defense for abortion rights nationwide. We are grateful for our allies and will continue to fight encroachment on our rights. We will also remember all of these extreme actions when we cast our ballots in 2024.
