Democratic group argues state legislatures are ‘arbiters of reproductive freedom’ in new memo

A Democratic group that works to expand party control within state Capitols is arguing in a new memo that state legislatures are the “arbiters of reproductive freedom.” 

Heather Williams, president of Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC), said in a new memo that “we are always just one Supreme Court decision away from a state law being catapulted to the national stage—like the Mississippi abortion ban that Dobbs upheld.” 

“Given this grim reality, states have never been more important to shaping policy or our future. State legislatures are now the arbiters of reproductive freedom, shaping the reality facing women and their access to care,” Williams wrote. 

Among the developments Williams spotlighted, the memo noted that abortion bans or restrictions that would curtail abortion access earlier than what had been ruled in Roe v. Wade have gone into effect in 25 states. 

The memo also noted that more than a dozen states have seen new legislation that aims to offer embryos personhood rights.   

She explained that the DLCC has a record target budget of $60 million, and the group is targeting a handful of states. Democrats are looking to expand the party’s majorities in Michigan, Minnesota and Pennsylvania. Over in New Hampshire and Arizona, Democrats are looking to end GOP majorities. 

“In Kansas, Wisconsin, and North Carolina, we are fighting to ensure that Democratic governors can override GOP supermajorities and veto extreme legislation that could threaten nearly 20 million Americans,” the memo from Williams said. “And in Georgia, we are looking to gain ground this cycle to put a future majority in play that can protect rights for over 10 million Americans.” 

Williams’s memo comes as Democrats have been leaning into the issue of abortion and in vitro fertilization after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that frozen embryos were considered children.  

That led several providers in the state to pause IVF treatments, though several of those providers have since begun IVF treatments after lawmakers passed legislation that would shield providers from civil or criminal liability around the procedure.  

Democrats have already shown that enduring salience of abortion as a winning campaign issue as the party flipped the Virginia state House and kept the state Senate last year. The party was also able to pass an abortion rights measure in the red-leaning state of Ohio.

Williams told The Hill in an interview that Democrats have been “overperforming by an average of six points across the country” in special elections. 

“….I think part of what we’re working really hard to do is tell the story of impact and of sort of strategic importance and really leading the way in the states to say like, ‘Hey, we have to return President Biden to the White House, and we need to build majorities in Congress. We also need to make sure that we are funding the efforts into the states because it is there where these issues are being fought today and will be fought in real time in the future,'” Williams said.  

One upcoming special election that will test the salience of abortion and IVF will be in Alabama state House District 10, located in the Huntsville area, where Democrat Marilyn Lands has made those issues a focal point in her campaign. Republican Teddy Powell has leaned into issues around inflation, the economy and infrastructure.  

Progressive news site Daily Kos notes the seat went for Donald Trump by a point in 2020 and went for former Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) by 5 points.