“No woman should be told she can’t make her own decisions about her body.”

– Vice President Kamala Harris

As we celebrate July 4th this year, there is much to consider. Our democracy is under attack, and the hard-won freedoms we cherish are facing unprecedented challenges. A significant blow to our civil liberties occurred on June 24, 2022, with the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs decision, which eliminated the constitutional right to abortion, overturned nearly 50 years of precedent, and cleared the path for states to implement abortion bans.

In Maryland, we are fortunate that our state has a longstanding record of protecting reproductive rights and is now poised to take another important step to solidify the right to reproductive freedom.

This November, Marylanders can vote to enshrine abortion access in our state Constitution, and to get there, we are taking nothing for granted. In January, Freedom in Reproduction Maryland (FIRM), an advocacy organization was launched with full support from WDC, to organize for passage of the amendment.

The amendment secures in our state Constitution the right to reproductive freedom, including “the ability to make and effectuate decisions to prevent, continue, or end ones own pregnancy."

Longtime WDC member Wendy Frosh, a leading reproductive rights activist, serves on the board of FIRM. She explains that FIRM was established to encourage Marylanders to vote YES on the ballot question in November. This will enshrine the right to abortion, birth control, and reproductive rights in our state Constitution, ensuring that all Marylanders can make personal reproductive decisions both now and in the future. Frosh expresses concern about the radical elements persistently working to undermine reproductive rights and access to reproductive care nationwide.

Her concerns are well justified.

Two years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade approximately 22 million women and girls of reproductive age in the U.S. are living in states with heavily restricted or inaccessible abortion services, leading to increased maternal mortality, morbidity, and a climate of fear among healthcare providers.

An estimated 65,000 women who became pregnant from rape in states with abortion bans were forced to carry their pregnancies to term. In Texas, after the abortion ban, over 26,000 rape-related pregnancies occurred despite disingenuous promises by Governor Greg Abbott to eliminate rapists from the streets.

And it does not end there.

A study in JAMA Pediatrics shows that abortion bans harm newborns and infants, with Texas experiencing a 12.9% increase in infant death rates and a significant rise in deaths from congenital anomalies.

And if Republicans have their way, this is only the beginning.

Project 2025—a nearly 1,000-page playbook by Trump allies aims to ban abortion nationwide, revoke FDA approval of mifepristone, eliminate contraception access, track sensitive data about women seeking abortion care, and use the 1873 Comstock Act to ban mailing abortion medication.

The Maryland Senate race has gained national significance in the fight to secure reproductive freedom. Republicans view former Governor Larry Hogan as their best chance to flip the Senate. The outcome of Maryland’s Senate race between Angela Alsobrooks and Larry Hogan could determine which party controls the Senate and, by extension, whether women will retain the ability to make decisions about their bodies.

At an abortion rights rally last week with Vice President Kamala Harris marking the 2nd anniversary of the Dobbs decision, Alsobrooks said “Today is more than just an anniversary. It’s proof that we should never take for granted our liberties. It is the confirmation that we must be vigilant in fighting for and protecting, with everything we have, our rights.”

Despite Hogan’s recent flip on the issue with his claims that he would work “to codify Roe v Wade as the law of the land,” his record clearly says otherwise. While governor, Hogan vetoed the expansion of abortion access in the state. When the legislature overrode his veto, Hogan acted again to restrict abortion access, by withholding the funds to train nurse practitioners, nurse midwives and physician assistants to perform abortions, funding that Gov. Wes Moore released on his first day in office in 2023.

Sharon Blugis, a founding member, and deputy director of  Reproductive Justice Maryland hopes that Democrats understand “a vote for Hogan is a vote for a Republican majority Senate… Hopefully, voters will understand that it was a super Democratic majority in the Maryland legislature that kept his hard-right impulses in check and why he seems to enjoy the false impression that he is a moderate.

Let’s be clear, Hogan is not a moderate. If elected, Hogan will provide Republicans the majority they need to pass a national abortion ban. He will vote with the Republican conference on anti-choice judges, including nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court. Despite his claims of being pro-choice, of being a moderate his record clearly shows otherwise. We need to elect Angela Alsobrooks as Maryland’s next U.S. Senator.

Finally, while holding the Senate is critical, let’s not discount the importance of winning back the House and that means not losing any Democratic seats. That is why I urge you to support April McLain Delaney in Congressional District 6. CD 6 is one of the most at-risk of Maryland’s blue districts. Like Alsobrooks, Delaney is an unwavering supporter of reproductive rights and women’s right to abortion. We need her representing Maryland in Congress.

We have our work cut out for us. Will you help? Can you bring a friend?

Let’s get behind Angela Alsobrooks to represent Maryland in the U.S. Senate.

Here are some ways you can support her campaign.

• Encourage your networks to sign up to volunteer - We'll need all hands on deck to win in November.

• Attend a field event - Check out our Mobilize page to see all of the upcoming door knocks, phone banks, parades, volunteer events, and more!

• Host/co-host a fundraiser - If you are interested in attending a fundraiser or helping out with one, email julie@angelaalsobrooks.com for more information.

• Donate to Angela's Alsobrooks for Senate. 

• Amplify efforts—follow the campaign on social media! or text JOIN to 74064 to stay updated on the campaign.

With the 4th of July coming up tomorrow, consider signing up here to march with Angela in a parade near you! This link will take you to the full list of parades, where you'll be able to select & sign up for the parade you prefer.

Volunteer for April McClain Delaney for Congress and keep CD6 blue.

• The campaign is looking for volunteers to knock on doors, serve as Team Delaney Ambassadors at events and they would love to come visit your congregation or neighborhood association meeting! Please email susan@april4congress.com

• March with April on July 4th in the Montgomery Village Parade.

• For more information go to https://www.aprilmcclaindelaneyforcongress.com/

• Finally, let’s help get the word out about the ballot initiative and FIRM.

Start telling your friends about the ballot question and make sure they understand that a YES vote in November will protect Maryland’s women and families. To stay up to date on the ballot measure campaign, visit MDreprofreedom.com. Share information about it with you family and friends.