The choice erosion

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.


Though Roe v. Wade is still intact, there has been no shortage of proposed legislation aimed at further limiting a woman’s right to choose. In the past six years, 157 such bills were proposed to Congress and more than 400 like-minded measures were introduced in state legislatures.

Recent Must Reads

12/21 – Activists under siege

12/20 – British family values

12/19 – Canada kills 1,700 ‘mad elk’

12/16 – This is your sperm on drugs

While most of the legislation did not pass or was later overturned, anti-abortion activists and organizations have turned to the more guerilla tactics of harassment, sabotage, and malpractice suits — and they have worked swimmingly. So well in fact that 84 percent of US counties now do not have an abortion provider, says IN THESE TIMES.

Local anti-abortion activism has worked so well that at the state level there are countless ways abortions are restricted — 30 states must read patients government-produced, pro-childbearing literature; 32 states require women to have the consent of one or both parents; and many require a waiting period between the initial visit and the procedure.

ONLY HOURS LEFT—AND EVERYTHING RIDING ON IT

A full one-third of our annual fundraising comes in this month alone. That’s risky, because a strong December means our newsroom is on the beat and reporting at full strength—but a weak one means budget cuts and hard choices ahead.

With just hours left, we need a huge surge in reader support to get to our $400,000 year-end goal. Whether you've given before or this is your first time, your contribution right now matters. All gifts are 3X matched and tax-deductible.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do. That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

ONLY HOURS LEFT—AND EVERYTHING RIDING ON IT

A full one-third of our annual fundraising comes in this month alone. That’s risky, because a strong December means our newsroom is on the beat and reporting at full strength—but a weak one means budget cuts and hard choices ahead.

With just hours left, we need a huge surge in reader support to get to our $400,000 year-end goal. Whether you've given before or this is your first time, your contribution right now matters. All gifts are 3X matched and tax-deductible.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do. That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate