On the Offense: A Playbook for States to Protect and Expand Abortion Access

People across the country are responding to the leaked draft of the Supreme Court’s majority opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, which would overturn Roe v. Wade and eliminate the constitutional right to abortion. Activists and experts have been warning of the right-wing desire to overturn Roe for years. This unfortunate threat has apparently now come to fruition.

Policymakers in blue states are rushing to pass laws protecting and expanding abortion access for their constituents and for people who may be forced to travel to their states to seek care. This memorandum draws upon the extensive and critical work of the California Future of Abortion Council’s policy blueprint, as well as earlier research published by Data for Progress, to provide a roadmap for blue states to protect and expand abortion access.

This memo provides context for the current abortion policy landscape, and then details policy recommendations under four thematic headlines: supporting people forced to travel for care; expanding Medicaid and insurance coverage of abortion; reducing cost as a barrier to care; and ending abortion stigma and misinformation. Each policy section includes recommendations from the California Future of Abortion Council, as well as additional proposals under the same theme. The goal of this memo is to inform policymakers and activists seeking to expand abortion access through policy analysis and national polling in order to help build a world of abortion justice for all.