Here are some grim statistics for abortion rights activists and all women who believe they are entitled to control what happens to their own bodies.
Republicans currently hold majorities in 67 of 98 state legislative chambers, the most in GOP history, and in 30 states, Republicans control both legislative chambers. 22 of these states have Republican governors.
“Thirty percent of all abortion restrictions… passed since the landmark Roe v. Wade 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision have come since GOP lawmakers swept into power in 2010,” says Wilson.
What does that mean for abortion rights and women’s health care? GOP lawmakers have used majorities to pass a series of policies, writes Teddy Wilson, to restrict access to abortion care at the state level: 445 measures in 2016 to be exact; while 17 states actually passed 46 anti-choice laws.
Analysts who track electoral trends say “2016 could mark a turning point in the hold Republicans have on legislatures nationwide,” writes Wilson, because of a number of factors, including the drag that Donald Trump has had on down-ballot races.
