Dem
51
GOP
49
It's déjà vu all over again. After the Dobbs decision, blue states scrambled to pass laws that not only guaranteed abortion for state residents and visitors, but also made it illegal for doctors and state officials to send any medical information about residents and visitors out of state. That way, when prosecutors in other states who suspected one of their residents made a visit to a blue state for an abortion, the response would be: "I'm sorry, but providing the information you are asking for violates state law; therefore I am not going to give you anything."
With the Alabama Supreme Court decision that zygotes are little people and putting one in the medical waste bin is murder, we are getting the same reaction from the blue states. California, Illinois, and Massachusetts have already passed laws protecting IVF providers. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) has started an executive procedure to protect out-of-state patients. Gov. Tim Walz (DFL-MN) has noted that both his son and daughter were conceived with the help of fertility treatments. Telling him he shouldn't have had them is not going to go over well.
All the Democratic governors know that actions on a deeply personal, pro-family topic like IVF could move voters, even those who oppose abortion. Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) said: "Republicans don't understand the storm that is coming." Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) said the Republicans are "really running scared on this issue." Democratic governors are also emphasizing the role of the state Supreme Courts in dealing with IVF cases and also emphasizing the role of the governors in appointing the justices. They are going to weaponize the issue against Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson (R-NC), who is running for governor and who has compared abortion to murder in the past. Robinson could be a drag on the ticket and might even help Joe Biden carry the state.
The media is helping out here a bit. Reporters are asking candidates if they consider embryos to be people. Most Republicans squirm when asked this. In fact, national Republicans have issued a memo telling candidates to support IVF or at least avoid answering questions about it. They understand that saying that putting a zygote in the medical waste bin is murder is not going to be helpful to their campaigns. (V)