• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Effie Caldarola
          • John Garvey
          • Father Ed Dougherty, M.M.
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
  • CR Radio
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
Pro-life demonstrators celebrate outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington June 24, 2022, as the court ruled in the Dobbs v. Women's Health Organization abortion case, overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade decision. (CNS photo/Michael A. McCoy, Reuters)

Pro-life leaders regroup after post-Dobbs ballot initiative losses

January 8, 2023
By Kate Scanlon
OSV News
Filed Under: Feature, News, Respect Life, World News

WASHINGTON (OSV News) — After voters in states across the U.S. last November either rejected ballot measures meant to restrict abortion, or voted to codify measures protecting the procedure, some pro-life leaders have called for the movement to regroup.

Voters in California, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana and Vermont either rejected adding new limitations on the procedure or approved adding legal protections for it. In August, voters in Kansas rejected a ballot measure that would have stripped existing protections for abortion from the state’s constitution.

The measures marked the first votes on the issue following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision in June that overturned prior rulings by the high court making abortion access a constitutional right. The losses, some pro-life leaders told OSV News, should prompt the movement to increase its focus on persuasive campaigns surrounding these initiatives.

An abortion demonstrator is seen near the Supreme Court in Washington June 24, 2022. (CNS photo/Tyler Orsburn)

Emily Albrecht, director of education and outreach at Equal Rights Institute, a group that trains pro-life advocates on debating abortion, told OSV News that while the reality of abortion does not change, the culture does, and opponents of abortion should adapt to cultural changes with evolved arguments.

“If we want to be persuasive, and really reach pro-choice people today, we need to understand the kinds of arguments that pro-choice people today are making, and adjust our strategy and our ways of explaining things to really reach people where they’re at,” Albrecht said.

The pro-life movement, Albrecht said, should focus on “helping people to truly understand what the pro-life movement is advocating for and what the pro-life movement is not advocating for.”

Albrecht noted that some abortion advocates argue that some in the pro-life movement support the criminalization of miscarriage — an argument pro-life people often dismiss rather than respond to.

“A lot of people are terrified that miscarriage for example, is going to become illegal,” Albrecht said. “That’s a really common narrative I hear from pro-choice people a lot. I tell pro-life people that, and they’re often shocked, like, ‘well, of course miscarriage wouldn’t be illegal. That’s not what I’m advocating for. That makes no sense.’ But that isn’t obvious to most pro-choice people.”

Destiny Herndon-De La Rosa, founder and president of New Wave Feminists, said her pro-life feminist group has gotten feedback from supporters that the bills on the ballots last fall “seemed very general” to voters and that they were without appropriate language reflecting grave medical circumstances like a maternal mortality risk. Herndon-De La Rosa said “vague language” in some of the measures may have prevented otherwise pro-life voters from supporting them.

“I think all pro-life legislation right now should be some of the most thorough and the most specific bills that we’re seeing,” Herndon-De La Rosa said. After the Dobbs ruling, the country is “seeing the fallout of when exceptions aren’t being made for very specific medical cases.”

OSV News obtained a draft letter New Wave Feminists circulated to its supporters for them to send to state lawmakers arguing that “pro-life laws need to be written to specifically target elective abortions.”

“While I have your attention, I think it’s prudent to remember there are things that can be done to help make abortion unthinkable in our state and country,” the draft letter states. “A pregnant person needs resources, support, and healthcare so they don’t have to question if they can support themself and their child. Some of these burdens can be relieved through the provision of universal healthcare, eliminating food deserts [in communities], and requiring paid parental leave.”

A sense of fear about the unintended consequences from restricting abortion could prevent even some people who identify as pro-life from supporting those ballot measures if they do not feel the proposed legislation narrowly targets elective abortion, pro-life advocates said.

“It has become this real tangible thing [to them] that we are debating,” Albrect explained, “as opposed to just some sort of legal theory.”

Other pro-life leaders believe ballot measures currently are a more difficult prospect for the movement, suggesting that pro-life advocates instead put more effort into electing pro-life candidates instead.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a group that works to elect pro-life candidates, told reporters on a Nov. 9 post-midterm press call that the pro-life movement benefits from “candidates debating the issue” over ballot initiatives.

“The value of an advocate during a campaign can’t be underrated,” Dannenfelser said. “It’s why we’re so focused on the presidential race moving ahead and will be involved in Senate and congressional races again.”

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ pro-life committee has called Catholics in the United States to increase both their prayer and advocacy in the fight against abortion. A nationwide pro-life vigil, with diocesan holy hours, starts at 5 p.m. on Jan. 19 and concludes on Jan. 20, the day of the national March for Life in Washington, with an 8 a.m. Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

Kate Scanlon is a national reporter for OSV News covering Washington.

Read More Respect Life

Federal judge’s pending ruling could block abortion drug from nationwide sale

Pro-life groups seek commitments on federal abortion limits from 2024 GOP contenders

Bishop calls ‘reproductive justice’ lecture series with abortion doula ‘scandal,’ ‘unworthy’ of Notre Dame university

Wyoming becomes first state to ban abortion pills

‘New pro-life agenda’ sees wins in state battles to expand Medicaid coverage for new moms

South Carolina GOP lawmakers’ bill opens up women to death penalty over abortion, a move pro-life leaders reject

Copyright © 2023 OSV News

Print Print

Primary Sidebar

Kate Scanlon

Our Sunday Visitor is a Catholic publisher serving millions of Catholics globally through its publishing and communication services. Kate Scanlon is a national reporter for OSV News covering Washington. Follow her on Twitter @kgscanlon.

View all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Pathfinders: Five Archdiocese of Baltimore women who made history
  • RADIO INTERVIEW: Dining with the Saints
  • Fire guts historic Catholic school in parish connected to St. John Neumann
  • Sister Elizabeth Ellen Kane, O.S.F., dies at 81
  • Legendary communist-era priest, Father Blachnicki, was murdered, Polish authorities confirm

| Latest Local News |

Catholic Charities’ William J. McCarthy Jr. named Loyola’s Business Leader of the Year

Sister Joan Cooper, O.S.F., dies at 94

Pathfinders: Five Archdiocese of Baltimore women who made history

| Latest World News |

Human composting, alkaline hydrolysis not acceptable for burial, say U.S. bishops

Pope advances sainthood causes of six candidates

Retired Milwaukee priest barred from hearing confessions over support of Delaware ‘repeal of seal’ law

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Human composting, alkaline hydrolysis not acceptable for burial, say U.S. bishops
  • Pope advances sainthood causes of six candidates
  • Retired Milwaukee priest barred from hearing confessions over support of Delaware ‘repeal of seal’ law
  • Suspect pleads not guilty in murder of LA Auxiliary Bishop O’Connell
  • Avoid polarizing debate, promote healthy scientific discussion, pope says
  • CRS, USAID help Ethiopia ‘at a time of great need’ amid devastating drought
  • A ‘nation of immigrants’ should identify with migrants’ plight and human dignity, says Boston cardinal
  • An invitation from God
  • Vatican envoy warns UN General Assembly racism mutating and ‘reemerging’ globally

Search

Membership

Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2023 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED