State skirmishes

Abortion | State lawmakers roll back the Roe v. Wade onslaught one hill at a time | Lynn Vincent

The crush of an election year and flashpoint controversies over abortion bans and embryonic stem-cell research took a toll on legislative progress on some life issues in 2006. Meanwhile, resounding success in previous years left lawmakers in many states with fewer options.

Overall, state lawmakers introduced fewer bills regulating abortion and protecting women from its harmful effects, according to Americans United for Life, which tracks pro-life legislation in the states. AUL vice president and legal director Denise Burke pinpoints two reasons for that: "First, election-year debates shifted away from abortion to other life issues, such as cloning, end-of-life concerns, and destructive embryo research," she said. "Second, so much significant state legislation has already passed."