The leaked draft opinion showing the Supreme Court poised to gut abortion rights nationwide is unprecedented and devastating. But it is, unfortunately, not surprising. This decision would be a culmination of a years-long campaign by anti-abortion forces to impose radical abortion restrictions across the country, in the hopes that these five individuals on the Court would overturn 50 years of legal precedent.

Here is what is true right now: this is a draft opinion. It’s not final, and abortion remains as legal today as it was last week. Regardless of how the Supreme Court ultimately rules, abortion access will still be protected here in Massachusetts thanks to the dedicated advocates and legislators who secured passage of the ROE Act.

But here’s what else is true: this decision would upend families and rob patients of their bodily autonomy. We are seeing the impact of abortion bans in some states already. Patients are leaving behind children and jobs to travel thousands of miles to access abortion care in other states – if they can afford to. And those who will be most impacted are Black, brown, Indigenous and other people of color, folks with low-incomes, and LGBTQ+ individuals.

The bottom line is that the fight for reproductive freedom will fall to the states. Our next Governor needs to be committed to making Massachusetts a leader across this country and standing for compassion, care and respect where others won’t. You can count on me to do just that – because that’s what I’ve done throughout my career as a civil rights lawyer and it’s what we’ve been doing in the Attorney General’s Office for the past seven years.

As Governor, I’ll be fearless when it comes to protecting access to safe and legal abortion in Massachusetts, breaking down systemic barriers to these services, and expanding access to comprehensive reproductive care for all. Critically, we need to ensure that our health care providers here in Massachusetts have the support and resources they need to manage what will likely be an increased rise in need as patients from other states come here to seek care.

The stakes truly couldn’t be higher, but we will take on this challenge the same way we always do – together. You can count on me to always stand with you in this fight. For now, please take care of yourself, take care of one another, donate to an abortion fund if you have the means, and be ready to raise your voice.

Thanks for all you do,

Maura

 

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