Two years ago today, June 24th, 2022, the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization overturned Roe v. Wade, profoundly altering the landscape of abortion access and turning back the clock for women and girls in our country.
As a result, approximately 19 million Americans across sixteen states lack access to abortion healthcare today. Unsurprisingly, anti-choice extremists are emboldened by their victories, and we are seeing the imposition of further restrictions on not only abortion, but also infertility treatments, contraceptives, and more.
According to the New York Times, in 2023 alone, 171,000 patients had to leave their home states to obtain abortion healthcare. This number only accounts for those who were able to travel out of state to terminate their pregnancies. Others who could not access this healthcare were forced to continue unwanted or dangerous pregnancies.
Yet even as extremist conservative religious groups promote an ever more invasive and controlling vision for this country, a growing majority of Americans are pushing back.
From successful ballot measures re-establishing abortion rights in Michigan and Ohio to the successful election of Wisconsin’s newest pro-choice state Supreme Court Justice, Janet Protasiewicz, the majority of Americans are refusing to surrender their fundamental rights.
These victories don’t happen by accident. They require smart strategy, timely financial support, and continuous communication to ensure voters know what is at stake.
And, more often than not, these victories result from the kind of local leadership that Project 50 is cultivating in deeply conservative states - like Arkansas, Oklahoma, and South Carolina - the states on which we are focused this year.
Project 50’s mission is to ensure that every state has its own locally-led reproductive rights organization and to grow their influence by providing strategic and tactical support, seed financing, and connections with similar groups across the country.
By investing in state-based organizations, we are countering the vast and powerful network of anti-choice interest groups and politicians determined to eliminate abortion healthcare nationwide.
To keep you updated as the 2024 General Election approaches, we are excited to announce the launch of a monthly virtual program: Second Tuesdays with Project 50. This 50-minute Zoom meeting will highlight opportunities to rebuild political power for reproductive rights at the state level and uplift the leaders doing the work. The first monthly program will take place on Tuesday, July 9th.
Finally, I respectfully ask you to join Project 50 in building political power for reproductive rights.
Help us bridge the gap and restore abortion access state-by-state by contributing $10, $25, or $50 a month. Your ongoing support will ensure Project 50 continues to be a resource to abortion rights advocates nationwide.
Thank you for your unwavering support for reproductive rights. Working hand-in-hand with partners in even the most challenging states, we will continue to make progress. We must.
Yours in solidarity,
Bryan Howard
Paid for by Project 50 (project50.net) and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
