The anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade on January 22, 1973 has consistently been accompanied by demonstrations, marches, and political promises.

After the 2022 decision that reversed the national protection of abortion rights provided by Roe, there has been a surge of movement as state policies are determined by courts, legislators, and citizens.

It is also providing Democrats, including President Joe Biden’s campaign for reelection, an opportunity to unite voters in support of abortion rights.

Protesters against abortion gathered in Washington last week for the annual March for Life, but this year’s event had a unique context. The right to abortion is no longer guaranteed nationwide, and 14 states have implemented bans on abortion throughout all stages of pregnancy. However, the resulting political consequences have actually benefited their opponents rather than themselves.

There were still several conventional demonstrations against abortion, such as one in St. Paul, Minnesota. Approximately 2,000 individuals participated, and many placed life-sized models of fetuses on the state Capitol steps to protest policies that support abortion rights.

Here’s some information about various developments.

Around 100 individuals came together on Monday at the Colorado Capitol to kick off a petition drive for a ballot initiative that would protect abortion rights in the state’s constitution. Among the group, a sign made of cardboard stated, “Someone you care about has undergone an abortion,” while politicians and the Colorado attorney general huddled around a microphone as the attendees clapped and cheered.

Colorado’s legislature passed abortion protections last year, but “if we don’t enshrine it in the constitution, we will be at the whim of lawmakers,” said Nicole Hensel, executive director of New Era Colorado, one of the coalition of groups behind the Coloradans for Protecting Reproductive Freedom campaign.

Due to the overturning of Roe, Colorado has emerged as a lone sanctuary for abortion rights, as neighboring states have implemented restrictions. In 2023, the Cobalt Abortion Fund, located in Colorado, expended six times more resources to aid individuals in obtaining abortions compared to 2021.

Supporters in Maryland took advantage of Monday’s Roe v. Wade anniversary to kick off their efforts to back the ballot measure that aims to protect abortion rights in the state constitution, which is already scheduled for voting in November.

New York is the only other state that will definitely have a vote on abortion rights in 2024. The proposed amendment in New York aims to safeguard reproductive freedom.

However, several states are currently considering similar votes.

Since 2022, advocates for abortion rights have been successful in all seven statewide ballot measures.

Legislators in two states have arranged for meetings on Monday as initial efforts to request that voters alter the laws regarding abortion. However, both are expected to encounter significant challenges.

In Maine, there is a movement led by Democrats to pass a measure that would ensure reproductive freedom is safeguarded in the state’s constitution.

The Democratic party holds power in both the Legislature and the governor’s office. According to state law, abortion is permitted at any stage of pregnancy if a doctor deems it necessary.

However, obtaining enough support to bring this proposal to a vote would necessitate the consent of two-thirds of members in both branches of the legislature. To achieve this, numerous Republicans would need to cast their vote in favor of presenting the issue to the public for a decision.

The GOP in Wisconsin has suggested a measure that would prohibit abortion beyond the 14th week of pregnancy.

The Republicans have majority control over the legislature, however, if the measure were to pass, Governor Tony Evers, a Democrat, would probably veto it.

At the moment, abortion is permitted in Wisconsin until the fetus is able to survive outside the womb. However, there is ongoing legal dispute over the applicability of a 1849 law that some conservatives believe prohibits abortion.

Last week, a group of advocates for abortion rights in Missouri made a decision on which out of 11 proposed amendments to back.

The chosen option permits lawmakers to limit abortion access after viability, which is typically around 23 or 24 weeks of gestational age. This is when a fetus has the potential to survive outside of the uterus.

A resolution has been reached by various organizations, such as the state ACLU and Planned Parenthood, regarding the ongoing debate on whether to endorse laws that impose certain limitations on abortion.

The proposed legislation in Missouri would permit abortion to be performed at a later stage in pregnancy in order to safeguard the woman’s life, physical well-being, and mental well-being.

Certain moderate Republicans are advocating for a rival proposal that would permit abortion up to 12 weeks in most situations. After that point, it would only be allowed in cases of rape or incest, or if there is a medical emergency, until the fetus is viable.

According to Missouri legislation, abortion is prohibited throughout all stages of pregnancy, except in cases where the woman’s life is at risk. However, this exception does not apply to pregnancies resulting from rape or incest.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced their decision, made in October, that an Oklahoma hospital did not break federal laws by advising a woman with an unviable pregnancy to wait in a parking lot until her condition worsened to meet the state’s strict abortion restrictions.

The recent decision has raised a significant legal issue amidst the numerous abortion restrictions enforced by Republican-led states: At what point do exceptions come into play?

In different scenarios, the federal agency has stated that hospitals would be breaking federal law if they refused to treat women seeking an abortion during a medical emergency.

Ongoing legal cases filed by women who claim they were unfairly denied an abortion are addressing the problem.

While the Biden administration recently sided with the hospital in the Oklahoma case, they are also working towards assisting individuals in submitting complaints under the law that aims to guarantee access to emergency healthcare.

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This article was contributed to by Trisha Ahmed in Minneapolis and Jesse Bedayn in Denver, both of whom are reporters for Associated Press/Report for America.