As we move into the fall, our state partners are beginning to plan for the 2026 midterm elections. We’re thrilled to travel to Little Rock, Indianapolis, and St. Louis over the next few months to facilitate electoral planning retreats with our partners. During these retreats, we’ll prioritize districts, evaluate up-and-coming candidates who support reproductive freedom, and begin to develop voter communication strategies. Equally important, we will work with our partners to embed these skills and practices for election cycles to come.
If you have not already, we encourage you to check out our wonderful new Project 50 website that we launched last week — project50pac.org!
As always, thank you so much for your support!
Marlou Svenson, Political Director
National Landscape Updates
A new study outlines a change in the number of OBGYN physicians providing care in Idaho since their abortion ban trigger law went into effect in June of 2022. “Between August 2022 and December 2024, repeated cross-sectional censuses revealed that Idaho lost 94 of the 268 OB/GYN physicians practicing obstetrics (35%), net new entrants to the state.”
A bill was just introduced in the Texas legislature that would allow citizens to sue abortion pill manufacturers, distributors, and others involved in the process. The bill requires a final vote in the Senate before it proceeds to the governor’s desk. Read more HERE.
Illinois is the first state in the Midwest to require university health centers to offer abortion pills.
Project 50 State Updates
Progress Arkansas Project
PAWPAC and PAP are gearing up for the next election season. Candidates are announcing their intent to run for office when filing begins in November. Many of our incumbents have announced they will run for re-election. One of our biggest advocates, State Rep. Ashley Hudson, has announced she will have an anti-choice challenger. He currently works for AR Congressman, French Hill, who is rated 100% by the National Right to Life Committee.
There are currently two efforts underway to protect the ballot initiative process in Arkansas. (Which of course is one means by which reproductive freedom advocates could bypass anti-abortion legislators to amend the Arkansas state constitution to re-establish the right to this healthcare.) There is a lawsuit challenging most of the laws passed in the last two legislative sessions that restrict the ballot initiative process already guaranteed in the Arkansas State Constitution. Also, the Attorney General has approved (after two rejections) a ballot title for the Arkansas Ballot Measure Rights Amendment, which allows signatures to be collected for the 2026 general election. This ballot question, if passed, would put protections in the Arkansas State Constitution for citizen-led ballot questions and limit the legislature's ability to inhibit direct democracy efforts. Read more about it HERE.
Indiana Reproductive Freedom PAC
On Thursday, August 21, Indiana Reproductive Freedom PAC’s 3rd annual Playing With Our Lives event brought together a sold-out crowd to stand for reproductive freedom in Indiana. The evening highlighted powerful voices — from community leaders to athletes — calling for a future where everyone can make their own healthcare decisions without political interference. They were pleased to welcome Fever players Kelsey Mitchell & Brianna Turner and Navigate Maternity Co-Founders Dr. Elicia Harris & Ariana McGee. The evening brought together advocates, community leaders, and supporters for connection, strategy, and inspiration. You can watch the highlight reel HERE.
Access MO
Access MO is focused on breaking the reproductive healthcare-opposing supermajority in the state legislature and defeating a new ballot initiative aimed at reinstating Missouri’s abortion ban. Voters in Missouri enshrined the right to reproductive freedom in their state constitution by voting for Amendment 3 in 2024. Missouri anti-choice legislators immediately sought to overturn Missourians’ newly won rights via a misleading ballot measure. The new measure, which deliberately attempts to confuse voters and will also be called Amendment 3, currently has a ballot summary that does not inform voters that the measure would reinstate Missouri’s abortion ban.
Access MO plans to break this anti-repro supermajority by electing reproductive rights lawyer Tori Schafer to the Missouri House and by flipping all seats in districts that voted for the original abortion healthcare-defending Amendment 3, but are represented by legislators who voted to overturn the will of their constituents.
At Access MO’s upcoming fundraising event, the organization will honor Schafer alongside Dr. Jennifer Smith, co-founder of Missouri Health Professionals for Reproductive Rights — an organization Access MO helped launch. Together, their leadership reflects the courage and expertise driving this movement. Donations can be made in celebration of Tori and Jen’s leadership and their work to protect reproductive freedom HERE.
For more on the greatest current threat to reproductive rights in Missouri, read the article by Access MO’s President and Co-Founder Dana Sandweiss HERE.
Access MO has been powered for years by committed volunteers. Thanks to a grant from Project 50 and the generosity of supporters, Access MO has been able to hire their first paid staff member.
We Are Rising and repro46
repro46 invites you to a special screening of Zurawski v. Texas — a moving documentary that follows the real stories of women denied abortion care under Texas’s abortion bans and their fight for justice.
repro46 is thrilled to share that Amanda and Josh Zurawski — whose story is at the heart of the film — will be joining the events in both Tulsa and Oklahoma City to speak after the screening.
Final Project 50 Updates
We invite you to join Project 50 at one of our events this fall! Sign up below or reach out to Erin Schuler at info@project50pac.org to RSVP directly or with any questions.
- Washington, DC Event next Wednesday, September 10th, from 5:30 - 7 PM ET — Register HERE!
- New York City Event on Wednesday, October 8th, from 5:30 - 7 PM — Register HERE!
As we wrap up the summer, we also want to thank our wonderful summer interns, Ellie Gonzales and Josh Ellison! Their hard work has been critical in helping to support and advance Project 50's mission over the last few months. We will miss you, Ellie & Josh!
Finally, we ask that you consider supporting our work by contributing one-time or monthly HERE to sustain Project 50.
Thank you for your partnership in this work!
Paid for by Project 50 (project50.net) and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
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