Come November, voters will likely decide on more than 100 ballot measures across the nation, according to a database from the National Conference of State Legislatures. Ballot measures let citizens bypass their elected officials to make direct change. They decide issues ranging from Medicaid expansion and recreational marijuana in South Dakota to digital privacy in Montana. But so far this year, lawmakers have proposed hundreds of tweaks to the measure processes in their states or cities, according to Ballotpedia. Critics say these changes attempt to reign in the ballot measure and curtail direct democracy. We talk about how the ballot measure furthers democracy, how it's imperfect, and what citizens are pushing for.Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find us on Twitter @1A.

President Biden signed the most significant bipartisan gun legislation in decades into law over the weekend. It comes after last month's mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas.The bill includes funding for mental health services and school security. Lawmakers also say it'll close what's known as "the boyfriend loophole." That means dating partners convicted of domestic abuse will no longer be able to purchase firearms, rather than just spouses and former spouses.We discuss how far the bill goes to close the loophole and what is still left to be done when it comes to intimate partner homicide involving a gun.Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find us on Twitter @1A.

Protests erupted Friday in the nation's capital and continued across the country over the weekend due to the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe vs. Wade.The landmark decision in Dobbs vs. Jackson Women's Health Organization ended a 50-year constitutional right to an abortion.Many states were ready for this decision. So-called trigger laws are in effect in 13 states across the country, effectively making all abortions illegal in the event of the Supreme Court decision against Roe.We explore the impact the decision is having on reproductive health care and take a look at what rights could be targeted next.Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find us on Twitter @1A.

Submissive. Chaste. Monogamous.That's how evolutionary biologists have classified female animals for centuries — dating back to Darwin and Aristotle.Zoologist Lucy Cooke says they've got it all wrong.Cooke joins us to talk about her new book, "Bitch: On the Female of the Species". Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find us on Twitter @1A.

Just shy of its 50th anniversary, Roe v. Wade has been overturned.In a 6-to-3 decision, the Supreme Court voted to strike down the precedent this morning. In the majority opinion, Justice Samuel Alito wrote, "It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people's elected representatives."It's a historic moment – one with massive implications for every American.And there are a lot of questions about what this means for the future of abortion access and health care more broadly. We take your calls and ask a panel of experts about the decision.Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find us on Twitter @1A.