The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade was expected, but nevertheless it is deeply painful to watch our country take a giant leap backwards, in direct opposition to our voices and our votes.

The Court has upended a half century of precedent and unraveled federal protections for those seeking reproductive health care. Let’s be clear: the lives of vulnerable pregnant people are now on the line because of the far-right’s desire for power over our freedom to make decisions about our own bodies.

This decision touches every corner of our country — and Georgians in particular will feel its immediate impacts as Brian Kemp’s draconian six-week abortion ban, HB 481, will likely go into effect in a matter of days. All while the state is experiencing the country’s worst Black maternal mortality rate, extreme doctor and nurse shortages, and half a million people lacking access to basic healthcare because of Brian Kemp’s refusal to expand Medicaid.

At Fair Fight, today has left us more committed than ever to continuing to work to advance free and fair elections for all — because we see how these extremists are ignoring the needs of the people and advancing their unpopular, anti-majoritarian goals by also  trying to restrict other freedoms, including the freedom to vote.

We will not let Brian Kemp and his ilk drown out our voices and our demands that we be able to determine our own futures. Time and again they have shown their  blatant disregard for human beings – our care, our safety, and our freedom. Their failure now must be the rallying cry that brings us together, and gives us the strength to push forward to greater freedom tomorrow.

Fair Fight is devastated by today’s decision, but steps forward into this moment with a resolve to organize in tandem with our allies and those communities most heavily impacted as we fight to protect all of our freedoms. This devastating news is a reminder that free and fair elections are crucial in order to elect leaders who will defend abortion rights, look out for our communities, and support our freedom to vote.

In solidarity,

Cianti Stewart-Reid