Page 3 - aruba-today-20240624

A3
U.S. NEWS Monday 24 June 2024

Abortion access has won when it’s been on the ballot. That’s

not an option for half the states

By KIMBERLEE KRUESI, nessee, where Republi- In Georgia, Democratic
CHRISTINE FERNANDO and cans have gerrymandered Rep. Shea Roberts said
LEAH WILLINGHAM legislative districts to give she frequently fields ques-
Associated Press them a supermajority in the tions from her constituents
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — statehouse, House Majority asking how they can get
Tucked inside the West Vir- Leader William Lamberth involved in a citizen-led
ginia Statehouse is a copy likened ballot measures to ballot measure. The inter-
of a petition to lawmakers polls rather than what he est exploded after voters
with a simple request: Let described as the legisla- in Kansas rejected an an-
the voters decide whether ture’s strict review of com- ti-abortion measure from
to reinstate legal access to plicated policy-making. the Legislature in 2022 and
abortion. “We evaluate bills every was rekindled last fall after
The request has been ig- single year,” he said. Ohio voters overwhelming-
nored by the Republican As in West Virginia, abor- ly passed an amendment
lawmakers who have su- tion-rights supporters or codifying abortion rights in
permajority control in the People gather in the parking lot of the Hamilton County Board of Democratic lawmakers the state’s constitution.
Legislature and banned Elections as people arrive for early in-person voting in Cincinnati, have asked Republican- Yet when she has brought
Nov. 2, 2023.
abortions in the state in Associated Press controlled legislatures in a legislation to create a citi-
2022, shortly after the U.S. handful of states to take zen initiative process in
Supreme Court overturned strongly that this is what rect say in about half the the abortion question Georgia, the efforts have
a constitutional right to the people believe, prove it.” states. straight to voters, a tac- been ignored inside the
procedure. The court’s ruling to over- This is particularly true for tic that hasn’t succeeded Republican-controlled Leg-
The petition, with more turn Roe v. Wade was those living in the South. Re- anywhere the GOP has a islature.
than 2,500 signatures, is es- praised by abortion op- publican-controlled legisla- majority. “Voters are constantly ask-
sentially meaningless given ponents as a decision that tures, many of which have “This means you’re going to ing us why we can’t do
the current makeup of the returned the question to been heavily gerryman- say, ‘Hey Legislature, would this, and we’re constantly
Legislature. But it illustrates the states. Former Presi- dered to give the GOP dis- you like to give up some of explaining that it’s not pos-
the frustratingly limited op- dent Donald Trump, who proportionate power, have your power? Would you like sible under our current con-
tions millions of Americans named three of the justices enacted some of the strict- to give up your monopoly stitution,” Roberts said. “If
face in trying to re-establish who overturned Roe, has est abortion bans since the on policymaking?’” said almost half of states have
abortion rights as the coun- repeatedly claimed “the Supreme Court ruling while Thad Kousser, professor of this process, why shouldn’t
try marks the two-year anni- people” are now the ones shunning efforts to expand political science at the Uni- Georgians?”
versary since the Supreme deciding abortion access. direct democracy. versity of California, San Di- The contrast is on stark dis-
Court’s ruling. “The people are deciding,” States began adopting the ego. “You need a political play in two presidential
West Virginia is among the he said during a recent initiative process during the momentum and then have swing states. Michigan vot-
25 states that do not allow interview with Fox News Progressive Era more than a the process cooperate.” ers used a citizen initiative
citizen initiatives or consti- host Sean Hannity. “And in century ago, giving citizens In South Carolina, which to enshrine abortion rights
tutional amendments on many ways, it’s a beautiful a way to make or repeal bans nearly all abortions, in their state constitution in
a statewide ballot, an av- thing to watch.” laws through a direct vote a Democratic-backed 2022. Voters in neighboring
enue of direct democracy But that’s not true every- of the people. Between resolution to put a state Wisconsin don’t have that
that has allowed voters to where. In states allowing 1898 and 1918, nearly 20 constitutional amendment ability.
circumvent their legislatures the citizen initiative and states approved the citizen on the ballot never got a Instead, Wisconsin Demo-
and preserve abortion and where abortion access has initiative. Since then, just hearing this year. Attempts crats, with a new liberal
other reproductive rights in been on the ballot, voters five states have done so. to attach the proposal to majority on the state Su-
a number of states over the have resoundingly affirmed “It was a different time,” other pieces of legislation preme Court, are working
past two years. the right to abortion. said John Matsusaka, pro- were quickly shut down by to overturn Republican-
Republicans there have Voters in seven states, in- fessor of business and law Republicans. drawn legislative maps that
repeatedly dismissed the cluding conservative ones at the University of Southern “If you believe you are do- are among the most gerry-
idea of placing an abor- such as Kentucky, Mon- California. “There was a po- ing the right thing for all the mandered in the country in
tion-rights measure before tana and Ohio, have either litical movement across the people of South Carolina — the hope of eventually flip-
voters, which in West Virgin- protected abortion rights or whole country when peo- men and women and ba- ping the Legislature.
ia is a step only lawmakers defeated attempts to cur- ple were trying to do what bies — you should have no Analiese Eicher, direc-
can take. tail them in statewide votes they saw as good govern- problem putting this to the tor of communications at
“It makes you wonder over the past two years. Re- ment.” people,” said Democratic Planned Parenthood Advo-
what they’re so afraid of,” productive rights support- Some lawmakers argue Sen. Margie Bright Mat- cates of Wisconsin, said a
said Democratic Del. Kay- ers are trying to put citizen citizen initiatives bypass thews, alleging that Repub- citizen-led ballot measure
la Young, one of only 16 initiatives on the ballot in important checks and bal- licans fear they would lose process would have been
women in the West Virginia several states this year. ances offered through the if the issue went directly to especially valuable for her
Legislature. “If they feel so But voters don’t have a di- legislative process. In Ten- voters. cause.q