Atlanta Journal Constitution: Democrats are looking to put Georgia’s abortion law back in the spotlight ahead of the midterms.
To mark the fourth anniversary of the GOP-captured Supreme Court overturning Roe V. Wade, Democrats are going on the offense by launching a new mini-documentary to hold Republicans accountable for their extreme attacks on women’s health and reproductive rights.
The new mini-documentary showcases how the Supreme Court’s unpopular decision empowered Georgia Republicans to enact one of the harshest abortion bans in the country, which continues to threaten the lives and well-being of Georgia women. Georgia’s six-week abortion ban — H.B. 481 — took effect four years ago, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision that ended federal abortion protections.
Through the personal stories of Georgia women and doctors, the video explores the real-world consequences of the state’s extreme six-week abortion ban and how the fallout from Dobbs continues to shape healthcare, reproductive freedom, and politics in Georgia.
Since the Dobbs decision, nearly half the states in the country have restricted abortion earlier in pregnancy than the standard set by Roe v. Wade. That includes 13 states with total abortion bans, four states with six-week bans, and two states with 12-week bans.
Four years after the decision, women’s health in Georgia is still in danger. Georgia’s maternal mortality rate is among the worst in the country, with 37.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to data compiled by the State of Georgia between 2020 and 2022. Moreover, the ban and Republican-led cuts have contributed to the Peach State’s OBGYN shortage and the closure of a hospital maternity care unit in Northeast Georgia.
Women and doctors in Georgia are looking towards the midterms to make their voices heard and elect representatives in Georgia who will work to protect women’s lives, safeguard their freedoms, and reduce maternal mortality rates in the state.
Click here to read a statement from DNC Chair Ken Martin and DNC Women’s Caucus Chair Alicia Andrews.
