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Press Release
NARAL Pro-Choice California 2022 Reproductive Freedom Legislative Scorecard Demonstrates Growing Momentum to Protect and Advance Access to Care
For Immediate Release: Thursday, October 6, 2022
Contact: [email protected]
NARAL Pro-Choice California 2022 Reproductive Freedom Legislative Scorecard Demonstrates Growing Momentum to Protect and Advance Access to Care
Sacramento — Today, NARAL Pro-Choice California released its 2022 Reproductive Freedom Legislative Scorecard, which is designed to recognize champions for reproductive freedom and incentivize legislators to go above and beyond. The 2022 scorecard illustrates just how much California legislators stepped up to champion reproductive freedom this year.
In the 2021 scorecard, 41 legislators earned the “Champion” designation, with 17 legislators earning an A+ and 24 earning an A. This year, 56 legislators – nearly half of all members of the California legislature – earned the “Champion” designation, with 38 legislators earning an A+ and an additional 18 earning an A. Altogether, 80 legislators earned the designation of “Reproductive Freedom Champion” or “Reproductive Freedom Leader” in the 2022 scorecard, compared to 66 legislators who earned these designations in 2021.
Shannon Olivieri Hovis, Director of NARAL Pro-Choice California said:
“This year has been the worst year for reproductive freedom on record—but California has stepped up to the plate to address the abortion access crisis.
California state legislators have demonstrated their unwavering commitment to ensuring that California truly lives up to our designation as a Reproductive Freedom State and shown that they’ve got our backs. Thanks to the bold vision and leadership of NARAL members and the California Future of Abortion Council – which created a legislative blueprint for reproductive freedom – California is proudly leading the fight to protect and expand our fundamental rights.”
Lawmakers’ scores are divided into six categories:
- (A+, A) Reproductive Freedom Champions (17 State Senators and 39 Assemblymembers)
Champions are on the front line of the fight for reproductive freedom. These legislators not only take the right votes, they also lead author and co-author reproductive freedom bills, whip necessary committee and floor votes to advance these bills, and proactively and publicly utilize their platform to speak up and push to expand reproductive freedom. - (A-, B+) Reproductive Freedom Leaders (11 State Senators and 13 Assemblymembers)
Leaders are strong advocates who consistently vote to advance reproductive freedom. They sometimes lead author or co-author reproductive freedom bills and may use their platform to support reproductive freedom. - (B) Reproductive Freedom Defenders (2 State Senators and 2 Assemblymembers)
Defenders consistently vote to expand reproductive freedom and may co-author the occasional reproductive freedom bill. - (C) Legislators with Mixed Support for Reproductive Freedom (2 State Assemblymembers)
Legislators with mixed support for reproductive freedom have taken votes both in favor of and against reproductive freedom. - (D) Legislators Hostile to Reproductive Freedom (1 State Senator and 1 State Assemblymember)
Legislators hostile to reproductive freedom may vote for some policies protecting reproductive freedom, but vote against many others. - (F) Legislators Extremely Hostile to Reproductive Freedom (9 State Senators and 21 Assemblymembers)
Legislators extremely hostile to reproductive freedom fail in the fight for reproductive freedom. They actively and fervently work to deny Californians our fundamental rights to access reproductive health care.
In June, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization—ending the constitutional right to abortion and opening the door for extremist state lawmakers to put total bans on abortion in place. This decision is already having a devastating impact throughout the country as 15 states are currently enforcing extreme or total bans on abortion.
In response to nationwide attacks on reproductive freedom, in September 2021, NARAL Pro-Choice California and our allies formed the California Future of Abortion Council (CA FAB Council) to create a blueprint for California and states like ours to safeguard and expand abortion access. This year, the CA FAB Council, together with the CA Legislative Women’s Caucus, introduced the largest and most comprehensive bill package protecting abortion access in the country. In total, the CA FAB Council package was comprised of 17 bills, including State Constitutional Amendment 10 to specifically enshrine the right to abortion and contraception in our state constitution. Governor Newsom last week signed the historic legislative package supported by the California Future of Abortion Council.
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For over 50 years, NARAL Pro-Choice America has fought to protect and advance reproductive freedom at the federal and state levels—including access to abortion care, birth control, pregnancy and post-partum care, and paid family leave—for every body. NARAL is powered by its 4 million members from every state and congressional district in the country, representing the 8 in 10 Americans who support legal abortion.
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