Hi John,

January marks the start of legislative sessions in states across the country — and with them, a critical opportunity to advance reproductive rights and justice. 

In 2026, NIRH is focused on three urgent priorities: increasing public funding for abortion care, protecting health data privacy, and advancing birth justice support. This will look like: 

• Working alongside our partner Our Justice in Minnesota to advocate for the state to create a $30 million Reproductive Health Equity Fund to keep clinics open. Minnesota is considered an access state for abortion care, but due to insufficient funding to keep up with costs, clinics are closing at an alarming rate. 
  
  
• Collaborating with data privacy experts in New York to advance legislation that will protect private health and consumer data from being weaponized by anti-abortion politicians and their law enforcement allies in states with abortion bans to track and prosecute patients and providers.  
  
  
• Partnering with a collective of Black-led birth workers and mutual aid organizations in Alabama to remove barriers to culturally competent doula and midwifery care and ensure that everyone can have the birthing experience they need and deserve.  

Your support is critical to our work with partners across the country as state legislative sessions get underway.  

When you support NIRH, you’re helping us go on the offensive — passing laws that expand equitable access to reproductive health care in key states, then carrying those lessons forward to new states also fighting for bodily autonomy. 

This year’s challenges are significant — but so is our collective power. It’s going to take every one of us to push back against the opposition. 

Are you with us? 

With gratitude,

Christian LoBue

President

ICYMI —

States will shape abortion access this year: With 2026 being a midterm election year, voters will be heading to the polls to make their voices heard on reproductive freedom in several states. Is your state one of them? 

Affordable child care in New York is expanding: Governor Hochul and NYC Mayor Mamdani have already come together to launch free child care for two-year-olds in NYC. Hochul has also announced investment in universal child care for all children under five in New York State.  

Abortion stays legal in Wyoming: Wellspring Health Access in Casper, the abortion access advocacy group Chelsea’s Fund, and four women came together to argue that Wyoming’s laws violated a state constitutional amendment ensuring competent adults have the right to make their own health care decisions. And the courts agreed! 

The University of Mississippi to expand midwifery program: Thanks to a $2.14 million gift, UMMC can now strengthen maternal and fetal health. With Mississippi facing some of the highest maternal mortality rates in the nation, the medical center is filling a critical gap to improve outcomes for pregnant people and babies.  

NIRH PARTNERSHIPS SPOTLIGHT —

Did you know that January is Data Privacy Awareness Month? As technology — especially AI — continues to expand, raising awareness and passing legislation to protect consumer health data has never been more critical. That’s why we’ve partnered with the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.) to advance a comprehensive approach to digital privacy in New York State and New York City. 

This year, we’re working together to pass legislation that prohibits surveillance of abortion seekers and to educate the public about the disproportionate surveillance threats facing marginalized communities. 

Stay Connected —

Our goal with this newsletter is to keep you informed — without overwhelming your inbox. But the work doesn’t stop here. Follow us on social media to stay up to date on reproductive rights and justice as it happens. 

National Institute for Reproductive Health
14 Wall St
Suite 3B
New York, NY 10005
United States

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