Following the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling overturning Roe V Wade on Friday, a coalition of west coast states has issued a statement vowing to protect the access to safe and legal abortions.
In a statement released by California Governor Gavin Newsom, the states of California, Oregon, and Washington have come together to guarantee access to abortions for women in the U.S.
The statement reads, “In the face of U.S. Supreme Court Decision on Roe vs. Wade, California, Oregon and Washington will continue to be a safe haven for all people seeking abortions and other reproductive health care services in these states.”
“The governors of California, Oregon and Washington today issued a Multi-State Commitment to defend access to reproductive health care, including abortion and contraceptives, and committed to protecting patients and doctors against efforts by other states to export their abortion bans to our states,” the statement says.
It goes on to say, “This Multi-State Commitment affirms the governors’ commitment in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s unprecedented decision to strip away a constitutional right that has been in place for half a century, leaving abortion regulation to the states. The sweeping decision means that for patients in more than half the country, home to 33.6 million women, abortion care is illegal or inaccessible.”
A copy of the Multi-State Commitment to Reproductive Freedom can be found here.
The group of leaders also released a video statement in response to the Roe ruling.
“This is another devastating step toward erasing the rights and liberties Americans have fought for on battlefields, in courthouses and in capitols. This is not the America we know – and it’s not the California way,” said Governor Gavin Newsom.
“Abortion is health care, and no matter who you are or where you come from, Oregon doesn’t turn away anyone seeking health care. Period. Let me be clear: You cannot ban abortion, you can only ban safe abortions — and this disgraceful Supreme Court decision will undoubtedly put many people’s lives at risk, in addition to stripping away a constitutional right that disproportionately affects women and has been settled law for most of our lifetimes,” said Governor Kate Brown.
“The law remains unchanged in Washington state, but the threat to patient access and privacy has never been more dangerous. Even in Washington state, Republicans have introduced about 40 bills in the past six years to roll back abortion rights and access to reproductive care,” said Governor Jay Inslee.
Governor Newsom has proposed a $125 million Reproductive Health Package to expand access for women and help prepare for the influx of women seeking reproductive health care from other states.
Oregon continues to uphold the most comprehensive reproductive health legislation at the time. Governor Brown signed Oregon’s Reproductive Health Equity Act into law in 2017.
Earlier this year, Governor Inslee signed the Affirm Washington Abortion Access Act that better ensures the ability of Washington abortion care providers to serve any person who comes in Washington state seeking an abortion.
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