Reproductive Rights Are Always on the Ballot
Reproductive rights aren’t only attacked on the federal level; in fact, the case that overturned Roe v. Wade was an abortion ban out of Mississippi. Individual states set the precedent for their own abortion laws, sex education, shield laws, and more. Jillian Riley, North Carolina Director of Public Affairs for Planned Parenthood Votes! South Atlantic sits down to talk with us about how reproductive health, rights, and justice can show up on the election ballot in a variety of ways.
While individual states are determining state-level access to reproductive health and rights, State Attorneys General defend state laws, choose not to defend state laws, or sue the federal government over laws. Governors, meanwhile, sign off on state legislation that attacks or protects health and rights. In addition, the judges we elect have a say in judicial bypass for young people, enforcing state constitutions, redistricting decisions, and more. School board elections inform curriculum, which informs sex education, LGBTQI+ inclusive-education, and available library books. City council and county commissioners also play a large role in funding for doulas, lactation specialists, and maternal health programs.
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Transcript
Jennie: Welcome to rePROs Fight Back, a podcast on all things related to sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice. [music intro]
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Follow Planned Parenthood Votes! South Atlantic on Bluesky and Instagram.
Vote! Make phone calls, knock every door, send text messages, to ensure the people in your community have a plan to vote. If you have mail-in voting abilities in your state, take your time to do a lot of research on the candidates!