THE HOUSE DIVIDED:

NARAL Pro-Choice America Releases State-By-State Report: Gives Nation a D+ (NARAL, January 15, 2003)

The report uses a state ranking system to capture the burdens each state has imposed to limit access to reproductive services. This year, nine states (including the District of Columbia) merited a grade of A or A-, and 18 states earned an F. For the third year running Louisiana is the most restrictive of a women's right to choose.

"A" States — The best in protecting women's right to choose.
Connecticut,
Washington,
Oregon,
Vermont,
California,
New York,
Washington, DC,
Hawaii,
Maryland.

"F" States — The worst in protecting women's right to choose.
Georgia,
Wisconsin,
Idaho,
Kansas,
Virginia,
Alabama,
Arkansas,
South Dakota,
Mississippi,
Nebraska,
Ohio,
Michigan,
Utah,
Pennsylvania,
Missouri,
Kentucky,
North Dakota and
Louisiana.

That's very much the Red State/Blue State breakdown that we were expecting, isn't it? Abortion is most easily available in the Pacific and Mid-Atlantic regions and most restricted in the South, West and Rust Belt. One would think a regime that allowed these regions to freely legislate their cultural values and morality, rather than uniformly imposing either Roe or anti-Roe, would go some ways to reducing the tension that surrounds abortion.

MORE:
30 Years After Roe v. Wade, New Trends but the Old Debate (KATE ZERNIKE, January 20, 2003, NY Times)

Posted by Orrin Judd at January 21, 2003 3:01 PM