On this day in 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in Roe v. Wade, ruling that the Constitution protects the federal right to abortion across the United States. It was a historic win for reproductive freedom.
But after nearly five decades of right-wing attacks, this legal precedent was struck down when SCOTUS overturned Roe in the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision. With the right to abortion no longer guaranteed at the federal level, GOP-controlled states rushed to pass extreme abortion bans and restrictions across the country.
Now, almost 1 in 3 women live in states where abortion is banned or largely restricted. Pregnant patients and their doctors are being criminalized with the threat of jail time. Women’s lives are being put at risk, with multiple being denied life-saving emergency abortion care.
The fight for reproductive freedom is more important than ever, and as our Attorney General, Rob is making sure that California stands out as a beacon of hope. Through his leadership, our state has taken on dangerous crisis pregnancy centers, stockpiled an emergency supply of medication abortion, established protections for out-of-state abortion patients and providers, and enshrined the right to abortion and contraception in California’s constitution.
But the fight is far from over. This month, SCOTUS temporarily blocked a lower court’s decision to protect a patient’s federal right to abortion to save their life or prevent long-term health impacts. The Court is also going to hear two cases to determine if hospitals must perform medically necessary abortions if a patient’s health is at risk.
In times like these, we need reproductive rights champions like Rob in office to keep standing up for our basic right to bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom, especially in cases where patients’ lives are in danger.
Thank you for anything you can give to fuel our fight,
Team Bonta
