FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 2, 2022
Contact:
Aurea Bolaños Perea, [email protected]
Laura Chapin, [email protected]
Neta Meltzer, [email protected]
Lauren Stephenson, [email protected]
ROE V. WADE DECISION TO BE OVERTURNED
ACCORDING TO LEAKED SCOTUS DOCUMENTS
DENVER, CO – The following statement was released on May 2, 2022, on behalf of the Reproductive, Health, Rights, and Justice Coalition in response to the news that the Supreme Court is prepared to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, according to a leaked initial draft majority opinion obtained by Politico.
“We now know that Roe v. Wade hangs by a thread, as does the reproductive healthcare and freedom it enshrined for over 73 million people of reproductive age. Like all abortion bans, we know that this ruling will disproportionately harm people of color and people from low-income backgrounds — as all abortion restrictions exacerbate and compound existing inequities.
“The immediate impact of the ruling would be to end a half-century guarantee of federal constitutional protection of abortion rights and leave it up to each state to determine whether to restrict or ban abortion care.
“There are the 26 states with ‘trigger laws’ and ‘pre-Roe bans’ that will automatically ban abortion care, including many states close to Colorado.
“In this new landscape, two things are certain. Firstly, people will still need abortion care and they can receive it in Colorado. Secondly, HB22-1279 the Reproductive Health Equity Act, our coalition, and the majority of progressive voters we represent are the critical line of defense against anti-abortion ballot efforts to eliminate our right to an abortion.
“We should all be able to make the personal health care decisions that impact our lives, health, and futures. But the decision that the Supreme Court seems poised to issue lays a shattering blow to the fundamental right to bodily autonomy and reproductive healthcare access, such as abortion, in the U.S.
“In Colorado, we’re proud to know that thanks to the Reproductive Health Equity Act (RHEA), which was signed into law on April 4, 2022, Coloradans get to access abortion care without fear after this news. But we know this is not the same reality for millions of people across the country. This leaked document is a preview of the harm the Supreme Court is willing to pose upon our communities.”
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The Colorado Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice Coalition (CO RJRH) is a coalition committed to championing policies which ensure that the rights and dignity of every Coloradan are protected. We work to reduce stigma and to shift the dynamic of the conversation about reproductive health care and abortion. Our coalition is uniquely positioned to fight back against abortion-focused politically-motivated attacks, to normalize the need for reproductive health care, to ensure respect for those who provide and seek abortion, and to center the stories and needs of marginalized people and underserved communities.
CO RJRH is composed of ACLU of Colorado, Cobalt Advocates, Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR), Interfaith Alliance of Colorado, New Era Colorado, Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, and ProgressNow Colorado.
