Last Week This Morning: 51st anniversary of Roe
Good morning, Rj! Happy Sunday! ☀️
Extremists push abortion restrictions ahead of 51st anniversary of Roe. Rep. Andy Biggs introduced legislation to force pregnant people to view ultrasound images, even if an individual has already decided that having an abortion is the best choice for them and their family. House Republicans also approved two other anti-abortion bills that are full of anti-choice rhetoric and lies about abortion. These bills won’t make it through the Democratic-controlled Senate, but they’re another reminder that anti-abortion extremists will not stop attacking abortion access until it is totally banned.
What’s on Hobbs’ agenda? Childcare, affordable housing, and public education, according to her budget proposal. Her budget also attempts to deal with Arizona’s nearly billion dollar budget deficit which is a result of Ducey-era policies like ESA voucher expansion and tax cuts that primarily benefit the wealthiest in our state. According to estimates, up to 50,000 of the approximately 70,000 Arizona students receiving vouchers could already afford private school and never attended a public school in the first place. To address the ballooning price tag, Hobbs is proposing to put new guardrails on ESA vouchers that would limit vouchers to students who have attended an Arizona public school for at least 100 days. Of course, Republican lawmakers are calling her plan “unserious”, because they don’t seem to think that serving the needs of their constituents is part of their job.
Trump wins the Iowa caucus. Somehow, the former president Donald Trump, who conspired to overthrow an election and was twice-impeached, is the frontrunner in the Republican presidential primary. He’s promised to rule as a dictator, threatened to indict his political enemies, invade Mexico, and other really bad stuff. Since then, GOP-controlled legislatures have spread lies about our elections and pushed dozens of anti-voter bills. In Arizona, multiple lawmakers are now under investigation for their role in trying to overturn an election. This November, we must defeat both Trump and the political allies who enable him.
“Republicans knew women would die. They planned for it.”Watch journalist Jessica Valenti, of the Abortion Everyday substack (subscription recommended!), give her powerful remarks to Senate Democrats on the extensive harms caused by abortion bans, which are functioning as anti-abortion extremists designed.
Honor the 51st anniversary of Roe.
- Donate to the Abortion Fund of Arizona. Even after the passage of Roe, low-income and other marginalized communities still faced significant barriers to accessing an abortion. The Arizona for Abortion Fund addresses these disparities by providing direct assistance to those seeking abortion care with financial and other support. Contribute to their vital work today!
- Make a plan to sign the Arizona for Abortion Access petition. Already signed? Check in with three friends to make sure they’ve signed, too!
Voting Rights Coalition Legislative Kickoff. Join the Arizona Voting Rights Coalition on Thursday, February 1st from 12pm-1pm at the Arizona Capitol for a press conference and rally to demand that state legislators protect voters this year!
Thanks for reading Last Week, This Morning! ☕️
Abigail with Progress Arizona