The hidden harms of Dobbs are coming to light

Since the Supreme Court overturned the right to an abortion a year ago in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, state-level Republican majorities have rushed to pass draconian laws forcing women to put their lives at heightened risk during pregnancy. 

In Tennessee, a woman was forced to carry a dangerous ectopic pregnancy to term. In Ohio, a ten-year-old rape victim had to flee the state to access abortion care because of radical laws passed by the GOP majority in her home state. Tragically, these stories are only the beginning. Similar cases will continue to make local and national news as additional restrictions go into effect, and they deserve our attention. 

At the same time, several hidden impacts of extreme anti-abortion laws are bubbling to the surface. At a recent Ideas Summit held by NewDEAL Leaders, where I am CEO, a representative from a large Midwestern company spoke about difficulties attracting talented women to work in anti-abortion states. A NewDEAL Leader from a different anti-abortion state spoke about how hard it is to attract nurses and medical professionals to a clinic that works with high-risk pregnancies. 

And this is only the beginning. According to a 2022 survey, more than half of women will not even consider applying for a job in a state that bans abortion. The same holds true for 45 percent of all college graduates. Evidence is already showing up in online job searches. According to Paul Lewis, chief customer officer at job search site Adzuna, “job searches have nosedived in states tightening abortion laws, or those banning abortion entirely.”

In addition to professional adults, students are examining state laws when they decide where to continue their education. Dr. Elizabeth Mack, president of the South Carolina chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, testified before her state legislature that recruitment of medical students and residents has already been hampered by anti-abortion legislation. 

The effect of extreme laws will have healthcare consequences for everyone in these states. In Idaho, a state with one of the most restrictive anti-abortion laws, one hospital had to shutter its labor and delivery ward altogether. “Highly respected, talented physicians are leaving,” officials from Bonner General Health, the only hospital in Sandpoint, said. “Recruiting replacements will be extraordinarily difficult,” the officials said, noting the “political climate” in the state. 

And the impact is not limited to doctors. According to research from Gallup and the Lumina Foundation, more than seventy percent of students are considering reproductive rights in states as part of their college decision-making process. In fact, the same research shows that two-thirds of Republican college students prefer states with less-restrictive abortion laws. Since many students find jobs in the state where they go to college or graduate school, anti-abortion states will increasingly face trouble recruiting and retaining top talent. 

Yet opportunities exist to change these trends. Power resides with voters in state and local elections who are standing up for the right to choose, and the representatives who they elect. 

In every state where abortion was on the ballot in 2022, voters supported abortion rights. Voters in California, Michigan and Vermont added the right to an abortion to state constitutions, while folks in even deep red states like Kansas, Montana and Kentucky rejected efforts to further restrict abortion rights.

Since Roe was overturned, many states have expanded access and protections for abortion care, including Maryland, Oregon and New York. Though federal legislation exists to remedy the Supreme Court’s decision (the Women’s Health Protection Act), the Republican House majority is unlikely to pass it. So responsibility falls to the states, where voters have the responsibility to elect lawmakers who will deliver on this basic right. 

In the year since Dobbs, some lawmakers are listening to the majority of voters who want to ensure abortion is legal all or most of the time. In a handful of deep red states, including Nebraska, extremist bills are failing due to united Democratic resistance and constituents demanding opposition. 

Moving forward, state lawmakers can take steps like implementing concrete legal protections for both providers and patients in the case of patients traveling from other states for health care, as proposed by the Guttmacher Institute; prohibiting specific acts of violence against abortion providers and patients, such as blocking entrances or threatening staff; and allowing certain non-physicians, including physician assistants, to perform abortions.

In a democracy, every voice matters. Outrage at Republican overreach is already stemming some of the worst legislation. With the 2024 election on the horizon, every vote against extremism at the state and local level will help Americans get access to the health care they want and deserve. Now more than ever, who we put in these positions will determine whether we make this care a reality. 

Debbie Cox Bultan is the CEO of NewDEAL Leaders, a network of state and local Democratic officials.