RICHMOND, Va. -- Actress and activist Ashley Judd headlined a rally in Richmond Monday with dozens of abortion access advocates to mark two years since the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs decision that overturned the federal abortion protections of Roe v. Wade.
"We are clear, abortion is healthcare. It saves the lives of women who would otherwise die during crisis and miscarriage," Judd said. "It is not about politics. It is not about government. It is about our very lives."
Judd recounted how she needed access to an abortion after she was raped and impregnated by someone she had known since she was a kid.
"When I became pregnant, I was so grateful that I was able to access a safe and legal abortion for many reasons, including the fact that in Kentucky and Tennessee, rapists have paternity rights."
Joining Judd on stage were several Congressional and state-level Democrats who highlighted how, while some states have passed abortion bans or restrictions since the Dobbs decisions returned the issue to the state level, Virginia has kept its access in place.
Democrats in control of the state Senate blocked attempts by the Republican-controlled House in the 2023 General Assembly session and retook control of the House in the elections later that year.
"And now, because of Dobbs, but because of the hard work we did together, Virginia is the only state in the South without an abortion ban or extreme restrictions. We can be proud of that," said Rep. Jennifer McClellan (VA-04).
Despite the increase in restrictions in some states, an analysis by the Guttmacher Institute, a pro-abortion rights group, found over 1 million abortion procedures occurred in the U.S. in 2023, the first full year after Roe was overturned.
This was an 11% increase from 2020. The analysis also found states bordering ones with more restrictive access saw an increase in out-of-state patients, with Virginia among those seeing the biggest spike.
In the Commonwealth, abortions are allowed through the second trimester and in the third to save the life of the mother, but speakers warned the outcome of November's Presidential and Congressional elections could put that at risk.
"This November is our chance to once again, at the ballot box, say this is unacceptable, you cannot attack our freedoms. You cannot roll back our rights," said Rep. Abigail Spanberger (VA-07).
Meanwhile, Victoria Cobb, president of the Family Foundation, a Virginia faith-based, nonprofit opposed to abortions said she celebrates that babies are born into states with common sense parameters around abortion "alongside programmatic and financial support for their moms."
Former President and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump spoke about the anniversary at the Faith & Freedom Coalition conference over the weekend.
In the past, he voiced opposition to signing a nationwide ban, but touted the ruling and thanked the three Justices he appointed to the court for their decision.
"The people are now deciding and some states are little bit more conservative and some states are much more liberal. If the radical Democrat extremes get their way they will have a federal law for abortion," Trump said.
Since Roe was overturned, several states have had ballot measures on the issue with the majority voting in favor of expanding or enshrining abortion access.
Virginians could see the question appear on their ballots as early as 2026 as state Democrats said they will start the two-year process during next year's General Assembly session.
A 2023 poll fromChristopher Newport University found nearly half of respondents wanted to keep Virginia's abortion law as is.
Nearly a quarter wanted to make it less restrictive and nearly another quarter wanted to make abortion laws more restrictive.
CBS 6 Political Analyst Dr. Bob Holsworth says with those results and national polling showing support for Roe, it will be something Democrats attempt to keep front and center.
"And so, you can imagine given the success that Democrats have had in special elections, that they're going to try to make this a critical issue, not only in the presidential election, but in senatorial elections all around the country," said Holsworth.
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