How important was flipping the [Wisconsin Supreme] court to the overall fight for abortion rights nationwide?
— Asked April 11 in our election live chat
Liberal judge Janet Protasiewicz’s victory in Wisconsin has major implications specifically in the state, but it does send a broader message nationally. In Wisconsin, it means the Supreme Court — now controlled by liberals after the election — there is likely to reverse the state’s abortion ban in the next year. But, nationally, it shows that Democrats are still able to galvanize voters with a message focused on preserving abortion rights.
Answered by Sabrina Rodriguez
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Abortion rights advocates have also seen recent victories in conservative states like South Carolina and Nebraska. In both states, the GOP-majority legislature failed to pass new bills that would prohibit abortions after pushes to do so.
Now, that doesn’t mean every state is following this trend of preserving abortion rights as it is still on the line in states across the country. For example, in Florida, we just recently saw the state Senate pass a six-week abortion ban that is backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).
And in North Carolina, one of the last states in the South with abortion access, Republicans have passed a 12-week abortion ban. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has said he will veto the bill, but Republicans in the state legislature say they have the votes to override his veto. Recently, a Democratic legislator switched parties, giving the GOP a veto-proof supermajority in the state House.