It's not just abortion bans. Here's what other laws red states are passing.
Alabama's incredibly restrictive abortion ban has gotten a lot of attention in the past few weeks. Its attempts to ban sanctuary cities? Not so much.
Along with slightly less harsh restrictions in Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio, Alabama passed a law earlier this month essentially banning abortion procedures outright. Yet anti-abortion laws are far from the only conservative ideals these states — which all have GOP governors and majority legislatures — are working toward, an analysis from FiveThirtyEight reveals.
One of the most common policies that "red-trifecta states" have in common are so-called "right to work" laws, which let workers for commonly unionized jobs avoid paying union dues. They're on the books in Alabama, Georgia, and Kentucky, along with 17 other red states. Laws to ban any cities from becoming "sanctuary" jurisdictions have also been enacted in all those abortion-banning states, save for Ohio, along with seven others. A slew of GOP-dominated states have also passed or are working on concealed carry and pro-Israel laws, as well as Medicaid work requirements, FiveThirtyEight documents.
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Meanwhile, America's 14 blue-trifecta states have all moved to push their minimum wages above the federally mandated $7.25 and ban gay conversion therapy. New Mexico went blue — and passed its wage booster — just this year. All those states, save for New Jersey, have also legalized or decriminalized marijuana, and most have decided to provide tuition-free college for at least two years. Read more about nation's legislative differences at FiveThirtyEight.
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Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
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