Every state with pro-life laws has passed additional legislation to support pregnant women, postpartum mothers, and babies since the Supreme Court ruled in 2022, with Dobbs v. Jackson, that there is no constitutional right to abortion.
A new report from the Ethics and Public Policy Center’s (EPPC) Life and Family Initiative entitled “Two Years After Dobbs” evaluated 21 states whose new abortion restrictions were made legal by the Dobbs decision.
“Building an authentically pro-life America will take years. But states can buttress the irreplaceable work of charities, churches, and non-profits by investing in programs that support moms during pregnancy, make life a little easier for families, and ensure young children get the healthy start they need,” wrote Patrick T. Brown, author of the report and EPPC fellow. “‘Two Years After Dobbs’ underscores that while more needs to be done, states are taking the lead in enacting laws that both protect and meaningful support the unborn, their moms, and their families.”
State legislation has included extended Medicaid coverage, childcare subsidies, investment into pregnancy resource centers, paid parental leave, expanded screening for postpartum depression, and expanded eligibility for safety net services. The report found that some states expanded support “to the tune of tens of millions of dollars annually.”
This information challenges the recurring claim of the pro-abortion movement, which accuses pro-life activists of “hypocrisy” and a failure to extend their pro-life care beyond pregnancy.
Following news that the Supreme Court would overturn Dobbs, numerous media outlets and politicians claimed that pro-life
