Linda Terwilliger: This fall, elect legislators who will champion protections for women’s reproductive rights

To The Daily Sun,

When the Supreme Court rolls back Roe vs. Wade, it will be the first time ever that we have lost a constitutionally-affirmed right to equal protections in the United States.

For now, abortion is legal up until 24 weeks in New Hampshire, regardless of the Supreme Court decision. However, our NH House has already voted to table HB 1674 providing protections for women’s reproductive rights, without changing the existing laws on the books relative to abortion.

Without any protections in place for women to exercise their right to privacy, women’s access to legal, safe abortion is threatened. Once federally-mandated protections are removed, our GOP-controlled legislature will have the authority to pass a law to ban abortion outright or severely restrict it.

Powerful, anti-abortion politicians have been systematically working to ban access to abortion one state at a time. New Hampshire is no different.

When Roe vs. Wade is overturned, 26 states are certain or highly likely to ban abortion immediately.

In Texas, the legislature put a $10,000 bounty on anyone helping someone seek an abortion.

In Oklahoma, the legislature passed a bill making providing an abortion a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and/or a $100,000 fine.

In Missouri, they are trying to stop people from traveling to other states to get an abortion.

New Hampshire will likely be next, if we don’t act now.

Urge your state representative(s) to bring back NH’s Access to Abortion-care Act, which would codify abortion rights into law, to ensure that abortion is safe, legal and accessible in the Granite State.

In the fall, elect legislators who will champion critical protections for women’s reproductive rights to ensure that Granite Staters can continue working with their doctors to legally access a safe abortion.

Linda Terwilliger

Gilford