Returning abortion to the states is a joke on democracy

This is the theme of the week edition of Bloomberg Opinion Today, a digest of our top commentary published every Sunday. Follow us on Instag [Bloomberg]( This is the theme of the week edition of Bloomberg Opinion Today, a digest of our top commentary published every Sunday. Follow us on [Instagram](, [TikTok](, [Twitter]( and [Facebook](. It’s been a year since the US Supreme Court decided Dobbs v. Jackson, [overturning Roe v. Wade]( and allowing states to ban abortion. In the court’s ruling last June, Justice Samuel Alito wrote, “It is time to heed the Constitution, and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.” One year later, how is all that “democratic self-government” going? Returning the issue of abortion to the states has proved to be just another joke on democracy. State legislatures are not listening to voters, [57% of whom]( disapproved of overturning Roe. Laws banning abortion [aren’t protecting women’s lives](; they’re putting them at risk. OB-GYNs in some states are being forced to compromise the care of their patients. Doctors are frustrated with their inability to provide necessary care — and showing less willingness to work in states with abortion bans. But there’s one place that has become a sanctuary for American women. Surrounded by states with harsh restrictions on reproductive health, Illinois has spent years preparing for the end of Roe. A year after Dobbs, Bloomberg Opinion’s health and legal experts take a look at the state of reproductive health in the US. - [Leaving Abortion to the States Isn’t Working:]( When it comes to abortion, the concept of government for the people hasn't worked, writes Francis Wilkinson. “In a Pew Research Center national [poll]( last fall, 62% said abortion should be legal in all or most cases; 57% disapproved of the Supreme Court overturning Roe, with 43% strongly disapproving. Alito’s co-partisans in state legislatures do not appear terribly interested in what individuals, let alone ‘the people,’ think about abortion rights or much of anything else.” - [‘Life of the Mother’ Abortion Laws Are Still Risky:]( “Women in states with bans have nearly died from sepsis; lost fallopian tubes because of delays in treating ectopic pregnancies, which are never viable and always life-threatening; and been [denied care]( for miscarriages, which affect about 1 in 5 pregnancies,” writes Sarah Green Carmichael. As Sarah’s Bloomberg Opinion colleague Lisa Jarvis warns, “It’s surely only a matter of time before a woman dies.” - [A Year Without Roe Has Taken a Toll on OB-GYNs:]( We’ve already seen chilling examples of the consequences OB-GYNs face in a post-Roe America, writes Lisa Jarvis. This isn’t what doctors signed up for when they went to medical school. Young doctors planning to start their own families are especially wary of moving to states with abortion bans, and the legal risks are driving some OB-GYNs out of states. “[Early data]( suggests anyone who leaves will be hard to replace,” she writes. - [For Many Women Seeking Abortions, All Roads Now Lead to Illinois:]( The Land of Lincoln has been preparing for a Dobbs-like moment since 2016, when Donald Trump was elected president. “Years of planning have paid off — Illinois has indeed become a haven for women who need abortions,” Lisa explains. “As abortion access recedes across the country, more haven states need to take a page from Illinois’ playbook.” - [One Year On, Abortion Bans in the US Are Risking Women’s Lives:]( There are women across America who have been unable to get miscarriage care because doctors are worried about prosecution. [Watch the video](. Notes: To contact the author of this newsletter, email cvandenbylla@bloomberg.net. Follow Us You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Opinion Today newsletter. If a friend forwarded you this message, [sign up here]( to get it in your inbox. [Unsubscribe]( [Bloomberg.com]( [Contact Us]( Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022 [Ads Powered By Liveintent]( [Ad Choices](