How California lawmakers reacted to the Roe v. Wade decision
The Supreme Court on Friday overturned Roe v. Wade, a decision that had been in place for nearly 50 years that provided a constitutional right to abortion.
The ruling comes more than a month after a draft opinion indicating the court planned to do away with protections for reproductive health care leaked and after a decades-long push from abortion opponents to overturn the case.
Regulating abortions now lies with state governments. Friday’s ruling is expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states, according to the Associated Press.
Reaction was swift from local, state and federal lawmakers representing the North Bay.
Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, called the decision “an assault on women” and said the court had stripped a segment of the population of fundamental rights that had long been settled law.
“My wife and I talked about this after the Supreme Court decision came out – our granddaughters will have less rights than their grandmother,” he said. “We should be doing anything we can to expand the rights of people so to see this decision come down is very troubling.”
Matt Heath, a Santa Rosa resident and chair of the Sonoma County Republican Party, applauded the Supreme Court’s decision. He called on Democrats to invest taxpayer money in “saving lives” by bolstering adoption services in California and throughout the U.S., in response to efforts in California and elsewhere to strengthen access to reproductive health care now that the case had been overturned.
Here’s what officials had to say on Friday’s ruling:
Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena: Thompson said overturning Roe v. Wade threatens women’s health but the effects go beyond access to reproductive health care. It will lead to the criminalization of abortion and sets a precedent where other rights like access to contraceptives and gay marriage are now in danger.
He described the court as “incredibly radical” and said the decision “has shaken confidence and respect” in the court system.
“It’s a sad day for women and I think it’s a sad day for America,” he said.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: Pelosi on Twitter said the “Supreme Court has achieved the GOP’s dark and extreme goal of ripping away women’s right to make their own reproductive health decisions.”
Santa Rosa Mayor Chris Rogers: "I’m having a hard time finding the words because it’s a mixture between terrifying, exhausting and yet predictable,“ Rogers said. ”It is one of the most impactful rulings that will happen in my lifetime and we’re going to have to fight like hell to make sure that California and other states retain the ability to provide that safe haven for women.”
Rogers said he was outraged that recent appointees to the Supreme Court “lied” during their Senate confirmation hearings and said Roe v. Wade was settled law but “predictably” overturned the decision as soon as they were able to.
Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael: Huffman decried the decision in a written statement, describing the Supreme Court as “extreme” and “out of touch.” In a video on Twitter he said the ruling “goes against the will of the people.”
Huffman said the decision would have the biggest impact on the most vulnerable, including people of color, lower-income residents and young people and puts health care decisions “in the hands of politicians.”
“A cascade of dire consequences and restrictions will now sweep across the country, falling hardest on those who already face the most barriers to care,” he said.
Sonoma County Supervisor Lynda Hopkins: “This decision means that women lose the right to our own bodily autonomy. We are not incubators…but government, with the blessing of the Supreme Court, will increasingly force physicians to treat us this way. If you think the stripping away of rights will stop at Roe, think again. It has always been about control and power.”
Sonoma County Supervisor Susan Gorin: Gorin said the decision moves the country back decades, and called for “more action” in congress, statehouses and in the voting booth.
“For those of us who have participated in the right and protection of reproductive choice - this decision is a kick in the gut. And this decision, on top of the decision released yesterday which effectively gutted local ability to put safeguards in gun control, should put all of us on notice that the U.S. Supreme Court is totally out of sync with mainstream America’s views and concerns.”
State Sen. Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg: In a thread on Twitter McGuire called the day “tragic” and highlighted California lawmakers’ efforts to put an amendment on the November ballot to “permanently protect access to reproductive health, abortion services and contraception,” in the state.
State Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa: Dodd pledged that California would continue to protect women’s rights and build a “protective firewall in our state constitution.”
“California will not sit idly by as women across America are stripped of their rights. We already have strong laws supporting women, and this year we have a dozen bills to enshrine and expand women’s reproductive healthcare and the right to choose. I’m a principal coauthor of Senate Constitutional Amendment 10 to explicitly add the guarantee of reproductive freedom in California's Constitution. That will go to a vote of the people in November.”
Santa Rosa Council member Victoria Fleming: “In a country where money is considered speech and guns are considered a constitutional right, it’s pretty shocking that a pregnant person can’t control their own fate. ... We’ve always been treated as second class citizens, and this is just more evidence."
Assembly member Jim Wood, D-Santa Rosa: “A day when we should be celebrating our constitutional protections of privacy and a woman’s right to choose is clouded by a Supreme Court decision that eviscerates that federal protection and tragically opens up the possibility that other rights will be challenged in the future,” Wood said. “California will continue to protect those rights and will support oppressed women in other states if they need our help to make their own health care decisions.”
Sonoma County Supervisor David Rabbitt: “To see the Supreme Court – the institution charged with protecting our rights – strip these fundamental freedoms from women and people who give birth is devastating and extremely disturbing. Throwing the decision back to the states will undoubtedly create unequal and unsafe conditions for those seeking reproductive care, and of course, we know that the health and safety of those who are already marginalized will be most at risk.”
Sonoma County Supervisor Chris Coursey: “It’s a sad day in America when our highest court decides every person now has the right to carry a gun, but women no longer have the right to make their own choices about family planning and health care. The greatest negative impacts of these decisions will fall on the poor, the disenfranchised and people of color. The new majority on the Supreme Court is dragging this country backward.”
Pat Sabo, chair of the Sonoma County Democratic Party: “While in California abortion will remain legal, all of us here must come together to strengthen our resources by rallying, volunteering and most especially by voting to not only CODIFY ROE in Congress but to solidify our numbers in the House and gain a true majority of representation in the Senate.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom: Newsom called the decision an “attack on American Freedom.” In a video shared on Twitter, Newsom, Gov. Kate Brown, D-Oregon, and Gov. Jay Inslee, D-Washington, all pledged to protect access to reproductive care.
In May, Newsom proposed a $125 million Reproductive Health Package that, among other things, would help healthcare providers offset the cost of providing abortions to low-and-moderate income individuals without insurance, or those whose insurance doesn’t cover the procedure. The package would also help providers in California prepare for what’s expected to be an influx of patients who travel into the state in search of abortion care.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta: In several tweets, Bonta lambasted the Supreme Court’s decision and committed to protecting “reproductive healthcare for everyone” in California.
Matt Heath, chair of the Sonoma County Republican Party: Heath, who praised Friday’s decision, criticized Newsom and other California democrats for adding resources to reproductive health care services and working to strengthen access to abortions in California rather than spending money on programs like adoption services.
“It is appalling that the California Democratic Party, led by Gavin Newsom, is preparing to do the opposite by investing money in making it easier for a child’s life to be taken,” Heath said.
By: Emma Murphy and Pauline Pineda
Source: The Press Democrat
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