Why Utah women are turning to abortion funds post-Roe v. Wade

Because the authorized battle round Utah’s pending abortion ban unfolds, reproductive-justice advocates are pointing girls towards abortion funds.

What’s occurring: Grassroots organizations throughout the U.S. are working to take away monetary and logistical obstacles to assist girls entry protected abortions.

• It comes within the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court docket’s reversal of Roe v. Wade.

Particulars: Since launching in 2019, the Utah Abortion Fund has supplied monetary and sensible help for greater than 150 folks looking for to entry abortions — over half of these have been this yr.

• The fund was based by a bunch of reproductive-justice organizers and conducts its work anonymously.

What they’re saying: “We consider that everybody deserves to have entry to the reproductive well being care they want, freed from judgment, stigma, and financial obstacles,” one of many fund’s leaders mentioned in an e mail to Axios.

Macy Haverda, president of the Wild West Entry Fund of Nevada, informed Axios Phoenix she anticipates extra folks touring to Nevada for abortion care.

• Nevada permits abortions up till 24 weeks of being pregnant.
• She mentioned folks from southern Utah had been already looking for abortions in Las Vegas earlier than Roe was overturned as a result of it is nearer than Salt Lake Metropolis, the place most of Utah’s abortion clinics function.

The opposite facet: One in every of our state’s set off regulation co-sponsors, Sen. Dan McCay (R-Riverton), mentioned he did not consider Utah girls ought to search abortions outdoors of the state throughout a information convention final month.

• State Rep. Karianne Lisonbee (R-Clearfield), a co-sponsor of the invoice, mentioned Utah’s pending abortion ban does not outlaw girls from doing so.
• “I do not assume there’s any contemplation that we might attempt to management somebody’s means to journey or to acquire an abortion elsewhere,” she mentioned.

Between the strains: In an interview with Axios, Salt Lake County District Legal professional Sim Gill, a Democrat, mentioned outlawing girls from touring to different states to entry abortions can be tough to research and prosecute.

• “I do not even know the way constitutionally you possibly can ban any individual’s proper to journey,” Gill mentioned.

Catch up quick: Utah’s so-called set off regulation went into impact on June 24.

• It banned abortions within the state with only a few exceptions, together with rape, incest or to avoid wasting the lifetime of the mom.
• Virtually instantly, the Deliberate Parenthood Affiliation of Utah sued to halt the ban.
• Third District Decide Andrew Stone granted a two-week non permanent restraining order blocking the set off regulation.
• In the meantime, a 2019 regulation that banned elective abortions within the state after 18 weeks of being pregnant went into impact.

The underside line: An abortion can value as much as $750, in accordance with Deliberate Parenthood. That does not embody journey or lodging prices if somebody goes to a different state to acquire one.