Florida provided far more abortions than California and New York post-Dobbs. Here's why.
Florida provided far more abortions than California and New York post-Dobbs. Heres why.
Last years Supreme Court decision overturning the constitutional right to abortion provoked a policymaking flurry in blue states that have long been bastions of reproductive rights.
From New York to California, Democratic lawmakers eagerly touted their states support for abortion care and unveiled initiatives to absorb an expected increase in out-of-state patients.
One year after the Dobbs decision, many of those efforts have not gotten off the ground. And while leading liberal states like New York and California saw some increases in the number of abortions, their numbers were far eclipsed by Florida because it borders states with severe abortion restrictions. The Republican-controlled state where Gov. Ron DeSantis' six-week abortion ban remains tied up in court saw the largest increase in abortions post-Dobbs.
Still, abortion providers in those coastal blue states expect significant investments made in reproductive health care in the wake of the ruling will have a greater impact in the coming years.
Its a marathon, not a sprint, said Jessica Pinckney, CEO of ACCESS Reproductive Justice, a group in California that helps people with the extra costs of abortion, like travel and lodging. It took decades to dismantle Roe, and building the highest quality access here in the state will take some time, but I do feel like were strongly on the right path, she said in an interview.