Rep. Alexis Simpson: NH voters must stand up against anti-abortion politics in our state

Since the Supreme Court’s draft decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization was leaked last month, I have fielded desperate calls from constituents shocked at the probability that Roe v. Wade would be overturned and the future of abortion access would rest with state-level politicians.

For 49 years, abortion care was safe and legal in this country; the complete erasure of constitutional protections for abortion rights seemed unthinkable.

Many have been left wondering what’s next in this post-Roe world, so I want to be clear: in New Hampshire, abortion will remain safe and legal before 24 weeks — for now — but this could change depending upon the results of our next election and who holds power in Concord.

When it comes to the decision to have an abortion, we know that the overwhelming majority of Granite Staters and Americans believe the procedure should be safe and legal. There is no state in the nation where banning abortion is popular. Still, the overturning of Roe means 36 million women in 26 states across the country are in jeopardy of losing access to abortion.

Last year, nearly 600 abortion restrictions were introduced nationwide. Ninety of these restrictions became law, including New Hampshire’s first abortion ban in modern history. This is more than in any year since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973.

In anticipation of this Supreme Court ruling, state legislatures have expedited efforts to dismantle abortion access in their states, including Florida passing a 15-week abortion ban and Oklahoma passing an abortion ban at fertilization — the most restrictive abortion ban in the country.

It’s understandable if readers don’t think such extreme attacks on abortion access are possible in New Hampshire, but remember — not long ago the falling of Roe seemed unimaginable, too.

Our state had a long, proud bipartisan tradition of protecting access to abortion because Granite Staters firmly believe in medical privacy and bodily autonomy. Unfortunately, these values are no longer the majority in the halls of our State House. Over the past decade, national anti-abortion politics have infiltrated New Hampshire state government.

In 2021, extreme politicians snuck a 24-week abortion ban with virtually no exceptions and an ultrasound mandate for all abortion care into the state budget, and Gov. Chris Sununu signed it into law. I’m proud to have been part of the legislative coalition that successfully fought to add an exception for fatal fetal diagnoses to the abortion ban and repeal the ultrasound mandate, but we know real Granite Staters were harmed during the six months these provisions were in place.

And this year we had to fight off legislative attempts to ban abortion at 6 weeks and allow men to use the courts to block women from accessing abortion.

As you can see, the opposition we face is mounting. But there is a solution.

Currently, New Hampshire is the only state in New England that does not have proactive protections for abortion rights. This year I introduced the Access to Abortion-care Act to rectify that.

This bill would not have changed any current state abortion laws, but it would have provided critical protections to ensure that Granite Staters could get the health care they need in the majority of situations — regardless of what happened at the federal level.

Unfortunately, my House colleagues refused to even consider the bill. In dismissing it, the House majority leader even referred to our concern for the future of abortion rights as the “outrage du jour.”

For women, abortion is not an issue of the day — it gets to the very core of our lives and our futures. The decision about if, when, and how to start a family is essential to our health, safety, and economic well-being. It is a decision that should belong to us as individuals — not 424 volunteer legislators at the State House.

We are at a crossroads as a country and as a state. New Hampshire now has two options: to further restrict abortion or to continue to ensure access to safe, legal abortion.

With Roe v. Wade overturned, we must build a future, both nationally and here in New Hampshire, that prioritizes abortion access for all women — regardless of geographic location, income, or race. The next and most important step you can take to safeguard the future of reproductive rights in New Hampshire is to vote your values this November — and in every election — for candidates who will fight to make abortion safe, legal, and accessible for every Granite Stater.

State Rep. Alexis Simpson, D-Exeter, represents District 36 (Exeter, Newfields, Newmarket and Stratham) in the New Hampshire House. She is prime sponsor of the Access to Abortion-care Act (House Bill 1674).

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Rep. Simpson: NH voters must stand up against anti-abortion politics