It’s hard to believe that today (1/22/23) we would have celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 1973 ruling of Roe v. Wade. It is a stark reminder of all that is at stake in the fight for reproductive rights. The reversal of Roe v. Wade marks the biggest setback for women’s rights in U.S. history. Women are being denied abortion access and their health is being put in danger in the cases where terminating a pregnancy is a matter of life or death.
There is, however, encouraging news at the state level. California, Michigan, and Vermont all added the right to reproductive autonomy to their state constitutions. Voters in Kansas and Kentucky rejected efforts to amend their constitutions against reproductive freedom. The South Carolina Supreme Court ruled that the state’s constitution protects abortion rights even though challenges to this ruling are still making their way through the courts.
The fight continues and the hope is that states continue to enshrine reproductive freedom into their state constitutions and voters continue to make their voices heard through ballot measures.
What can you do? Join two important events this week where attorneys from The Center for Reproductive Rights (and our friend Dahlia Lithwick) will be participating in panel discussions about this sobering moment and the future of reproductive freedoms post-Roe.