Women’s Reproductive Rights (9/8/21)

Markers will be back on Zoom on Friday. Remember to use our new recurring Tuesday/Friday Zoom link to join us. We hope everyone has taken some time during our mini break to relax and rejuvenate despite the torrent of awful news in the last two weeks.

Long story short: Texas's draconian abortion law, upheld by the conservative Supreme Court, requires us to act. We will share ways to protest the Texas law, including rallies and other actions (see some in Action Items below), but we are also spurred to action to make sure that Virginia, with elections for the state legislature and statewide offices, scheduled less than 2 months from now, does not become another Texas. The recent New York Times article "As Washington Stews, State Legislatures Increasingly Shape American Politics" describes how "increasingly, state legislatures, especially in 30 Republican-controlled states, have seized an outsize role for themselves, pressing conservative agendas on voting, Covid-19 and the culture wars that are amplifying partisan splits and shaping policy well beyond their own borders."

Virginia's off-cycle elections this year will be a critical test as to whether the South's bluest state remains a bastion for voting rights and reproductive rights since other states' lawmakers have said they might copy Texas's abortion law. Early voting in Virginia starts on September 17th.

Virginia Democrats need our help, and you can support them here as part of our 2021 Giving Circle. We have raised over $44,000 of our pledged $50,000. Please help us reach our goal by joining our giving circle if you have not done so already, or asking a friend to join us in this important effort.

As reported here, Republicans are feeling confident about their chances in VA. Virginia going blue is the biggest gain for the Democrats over the last decade. And soon after Democrats took power in 2020, they enacted a series of protections for abortion rights.

Simply put: The Democrats losing control in Virginia would be a disaster.
Here are the Virgina candidates that FNF is supporting.

Please give here if you are able or forward this email to friends who care about voting rights and reproductive rights, and help us make sure Virginia stays blue.