The Quickie: PP Action Fund Endorses First Set of U.S. Senators for Reelection 

Welcome to “The Quickie” — Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s daily tipsheet on the top health care & reproductive rights stories of the day. You can read “The Quickie'' online here.

In today’s Quickie: PPAF endorses five U.S. senators for reelection, anti-abortion politicians attempt to block OH repro freedom amendment, and press call on IN’s abortion ban tomorrow.

PP ACTION FUND ENDORSES FIRST SET OF U.S. SENATORS FOR REELECTION: Today, Planned Parenthood Action Fund announced its endorsement of sexual and reproductive health champions Tammy Baldwin (WI), Sherrod Brown (OH), Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), Jacky Rosen (NV), and Jon Tester (MT) in their re-election bids for the U.S. Senate in 2024.

Anti-abortion politicians in the Senate remain committed to attacking sexual and reproductive health care in order to achieve their ultimate goal – a national abortion ban. Re-electing these senators is a crucial step in protecting the reproductive rights majority in the Senate.

“These senators have been loud, unapologetic allies in the fight for reproductive freedom, and we need them to continue this critical work,” Alexis McGill Johnson, President of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said. “There is so much at stake. We know that if anti-abortion politicians gain control of the Senate, they will exploit their power to push through a national abortion ban… Planned Parenthood Action Fund is committed to fight to protect our rights alongside these Senate allies, and all of the dedicated reproductive health, rights, and justice champions across the country.”

SORE LOSER LAWMAKERS SCHEME TO BLOCK REPRO FREEDOM AMENDMENT FROM OHIO BALLOT: Just days after the Ohio secretary of state approved a reproductive freedom ballot initiative for November, a group of Republican lawmakers filed a lawsuit to stop the question from appearing before voters. The lawsuit claims the measure can’t appear on the ballot because the petition did not identify which Ohio laws would be repealed if the measure passes.

Lauren Blauvelt, spokesperson for Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights, said of the challenge: “Anti-choice extremists know they can’t win at the ballot box, so they have filed a lawsuit in a desperate attempt to silence the clear majority of Ohioans who support reproductive freedom. Once the Court reviews all the relevant facts, we expect this challenge to be rejected.”

This lawsuit isn’t the only attempt to limit direct democracy: next week, Ohioans will vote on a rules change that would increase the threshold for a ballot measure to pass from a simple majority to a supermajority of 60%. Opponents of the reproductive freedom amendment haven’t hidden their intentions. This vote, rushed to a special election in a low turnout month, is specifically to block the passage of the reproductive freedom amendment this fall.

Opponents of the reproductive freedom amendment aren’t stopping there. An extensive disinformation campaign around the amendment has also targeted trans people and gender-affirming care. So far, voters have not fallen for this disinformation: the latest polling shows that Ohioans oppose the rules change 57%-26% and support the reproductive freedom amendment 58%-32%.

Read more at The Nation.

PRESS CALL TOMORROW AS INDIANA’S TOTAL ABORTION BAN SCHEDULED TO GO INTO EFFECT: Tomorrow is the day Indiana’s total abortion ban is scheduled to go into effect, which would devastate access to basic health care in the state and exacerbate existing maternal and infant health crises across the region. Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawaii, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky (PPGNHAIK) will host a press conference tomorrow, Tuesday, August 1 at 8 AM ET in Indianapolis and via Zoom to discuss Planned Parenthood’s plans for providing essential health services in Indiana once the abortion ban takes effect and what the abortion ban means for access moving forward.

WHO: Rebecca Gibron (PPGNHAIK CEO), Dr. Amy Caldwell (OB/GYN and abortion provider at PPGNHAIK), Dr. Ric Henderson (resident physician)

WHEN: August 1, 8 AM ET

WHERE: Indianapolis location and Zoom link link provided upon RSVP

For those interested in attending, please email Nicole Erwin at: [email protected]