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Legal Wrap: 42 Years After ‘Roe,’ Too Many Still Lack Access

This week marked the 42nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Here's a roundup of some of the best pieces online on the state of abortions access in this country.

This week marked the 42nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Here's a roundup of some of the best pieces online on the state of abortions access in this country. Law and justice via Shutterstock

Legal Wrap is a weekly round-up of key legal reproductive rights and justice news.

It’s been 42 years since Roe v. Wade, and the fight over the right to a legal abortion wages on, despite the right to an abortion being settled law. At Rewire, we marked the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s historic decision with the publication of a number of excellent pieces digging into the promise—and the disappointment—of Roe.

Over at The Nation, Dani McClain reminds us that words matter and that how we talk about abortion rights helps drive who does, and does not, have access to abortion care.

One way to mark the Roe anniversary is to look ahead to the threats gathering on the horizon. Katie Klabusich has this preview of the year ahead in the fight for reproductive rights.

Here are just a few of the tireless crusaders, defenders, and agitators that protect our reproductive freedoms.

Here are some more.

Also: here.

The reality is, now more than ever we need people sharing their abortion stories whenever and however they can because abortion restrictions and abortion stigma go hand-in-hand.

The Roe anniversary is also an excellent opportunity to discuss the differences between reproductive rights and reproductive justice.

It’s not just your imagination: More than four decades after Roe, the state of affairs for abortion rights is pretty dismal.

Twenty-week abortion bans will be all the rage with anti-choice lawmakers this year. Mother Jones has two great pieces on them. First is this explainer that cuts through much of the spin and outright lies from the right. Then, be sure and read this piece on the secret history of the 20-week bans that anti-abortion advocates insist are based on “new” science.

Thanks to the Hyde Amendment, the promise of Roe has always just been that a promise for low-income Americans. It’s time to end Hyde and stop punishing poor people who need abortions.

Here’s an excellent idea: Rebrand the March for Life, anti-choicers’ go-to Roe v. Wade anniversary activity. It’s hard to pick, but I think this might be one of my favorite new names: “March for Not Talking About How Virtually Every Anti-Choice Law Targets Minorities and the Poor, While Wealthy White Women Will Never Have a Problem Obtaining the Care They Need.” Read the other #LOLSob suggestions here.