Abortion, Ballot initiatives, state Constitutions, Defense, and Elections.  Who knew all these would be important for pro-life voters to understand this summer?   

Abortion policies will be tested this year through ballot initiatives in states across the country to see if state constitutions can be amended to permit or prohibit abortions since the fall of Roe and returning the question of abortion to the states as set forth through the Dobbs decision.  States like Ohio have a special election in which voters will decide to change the threshold from 50% of a yes vote (considered low) to 60% of a yes vote (considered higher) to amend the constitution.  The logic is that if it is easy to amend a state constitution, for whatever issue, the constitution will become a place to legislate.  Advertisements, media, and propaganda will bombard voters to circumvent the legislative process.  Increasing the threshold to amend the constitution provides stability in governance and in some cases protects pro-life laws already on the books.  

Now to D.  The House and Senate National Defense Authorization Act bills became an unlikely battlefield for pro-life policies, with provisions that banned using Defense appropriations funds to pay for abortions in the crossfire. The Republican-controlled House passed the bill with these provisions, while the Democratically held Senate rejected those measures and passed the NDAA without the measures.  The argument the federal government should not be subsiding abortion through defense funding has extended beyond just those bills that will need to be reconciled before they hit the president’s desk for signature.   For the last six months, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) has taken a stand for Life and is preventing military promotions as retribution for the Defense Department allowing paid leave for abortions. 

Last but not least, E.  E stands for elections.  Elections have consequences, and each vote cast or not cast impacts our communities, country, and our representation in our democratic government.