Scoreboard

I have been following the Ohio abortion vote for months and the numbers are in. Guess what, the right to reproductive autonomy wins once again. If you are scoring at home, that makes Seven to Nothing for the pro choice side.

And it should be pointed out that these have not been bi-coastal ballot propositions, they include red states Kansas, Montana and Kentucky.

Americans of all political stripes and regions don't think the government has any business in your bedroom and that motherhood should be the choice of mothers and in some cases their doctors. Not theocrats and elected officials.

Of course, right wing politicians all over the country are shuddering at the thought of more and more of these propositions coming down the pike. The Attorney General of Florida, Ashley Moody, just wrote a fifty page brief to keep a similar proposition off the ballot, with the same sort of semantics gamesmanship Frank LaRose tried in Ohio.

Save it Ashley, you are on the wrong side of history.

What I find truly pernicious is the sleight of hand opponents have tried to play on this issue. Ohio had a bill on the books limiting abortion after five weeks, with no exceptions for rape and incest. It is awaiting a judge's ruling. Ohio, if you remember, the state where the raped ten year old girl had to travel to Indiana to get her abortion.

Governor Mike DeWine, an ardent pro lifer, said, "hey, vote Issue One down and I will give you rape and incest exceptions, I promise." Swell of him. 

Of course, his gerrymandered overly right wing legislature is far from certain to have played along. Now the issue is moot.

Governor Youngkin in Virginia is trying a similar play. He wants to install a sensible 15 week "limit," he won't use the ban word. 

But lets face it, why should pro choicers compromise when the country seems to be in favor of getting out of the business of regulating personal reproductive choice? Just wait for the ballot proposition. 

I hate when people insist you accept a take it or leave it offer regarding the compromise of their choosing and you aren't allowed a say.

Good for Ohio.

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When Alito, Kavanaugh, Roberts, Thomas and Barrett overturned Roe with the Dobbs decision and threw the issue back to the states, do you think they ever envisioned this sort of reception? 

Delicious.