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.”
UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy: