"The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113, and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pa. v. Casey, 505 U.S. 833 are overruled; the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives," the court wrote.
In justifying its decision, the majority wrote: "We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled. The Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision, including the one on which the defenders of Roe and Casey now chiefly rely — the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. That provision has been held to guarantee some rights that are not mentioned in the Constitution, but any such right must be 'deeply rooted in this Nation's history and tradition' and 'implicit in the concept of ordered Liberty.' The right to abortion does not fall within this category."
"It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people's elected representatives," the decision continued. "The permissibility of abortion, and the limitations, upon it, are to be resolved like most important questions in our democracy: by citizens trying to persuade one another and then voting."
Reaction was swift to the court's opinion.
"An ultra-conservative Supreme Court, far out of touch with the American people, just took away the rights of millions of women to control their own bodies. We will steadfastly protect the right to abortion in California. This is a dark day in America," state Assembly member Marc Berman wrote in a tweet.
State Sen. Josh Becker also posted an emotional video on the morning of June 24.
"This is a depressing day in American history, indeed. The thought that my daughter and her generation may grow up without the protections that we've had, the rights that we've had for the last 50 years, is really, really a tough moment."
On June 20, the legislature passed SCA 10, a constitutional amendment to enshrine the right to abortion services and the right to choice in the state constitution, he noted.
"And now we are going further with a package of bills by the Women's Caucus — and I'm proud to be a principal author of one of them — to address cost and accessibility, including growing the abortion workforce" he said.
U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo also weighed in through a written statement.
"Today, for the first time in history, the Supreme Court eliminated a constitutional right. This decision is cruel," she wrote. "Democrats will not stop fighting to enshrine Roe v. Wade into law, and voters will not let this stand come November."
Santa Clara County leaders and others gathered at the Robert Peckham Federal Building in downtown San Jose hours after the Supreme Court's decision to affirm their support for abortion rights and urge voters to elect officials around the country that will do the same.
Many of the lawmakers signed a letter from rally organizer and Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez and San Jose City Council member Dev Davis to Gov. Gavin Newsom last month, asking the governor to announce his support for Assembly Bill 2091. The legislation would prohibit local law enforcement from sharing information about patients seeking an abortion with out-of-state authorities.
The letter also called on the governor to establish the funding and logistics to help ensure patients coming from out of state can receive care regardless of their financial situation.
Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen affirmed he would reject any request to cooperate with such an investigation by another state, city or county.
"If women aren't free, then none of us are free," Rosen said.
Stacy Cross, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, said the local chapter was ready to provide care to an additional 250-500 patients a week, after receiving a $3 million boost in funding from the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors prior to the Supreme Court decision already approved its Women's Reproductive Freedom and Healthcare Privacy Action Plan. The plan, which passed on June 14, provides financial support for Planned Parenthood Mar Monte to deliver increased abortion services; creates a buffer zone ordinance around abortion clinics for the unincorporated areas of the county; develops an advocacy agenda; establishes the Reproductive Rights and Healthcare Privacy Subcommittee to include Supervisors Dave Pine and Warren Slocum; and launches an information campaign to inform patients that San Mateo County Health continues to offer reproductive health services.
Planned Parenthood's three clinics in San Mateo County serve about 13,000 county residents a year, according to a statement from the Board of Supervisors.
The financial investment includes $1 million allocated in two tranches. The first batch, $549,312, would support the purchase of technology and equipment to accommodate increased patient capacity at the Planned Parenthood clinics. The second batch of funding, up to $450,688, would be held in reserve and used as needs emerge.
Meanwhile, health care administrators likewise expressed support for reproductive services. In a statement, Stanford University School of Medicine Dean Lloyd Minor and Vaden Health Services Executive Director Jim Jacobs said that as a university and academic medical center operating in California, Stanford abides by California state laws, which require that comprehensive reproductive services are available to patients and provide legal protections for those seeking them.
While the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade enraged local lawmakers, in a statement on Friday, San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone praised the ruling.
"'The arc of history is long but it bends toward justice.' Never have the words of the Rev. Martin Luther King, the great prophet of human rights in the 20th century, rung more true. This historic Supreme Court decision would not have happened without 50 years of patient, loving, hard work by people of all faiths and none, in diverse fields including social service, religion, law, medicine, culture, education, policy and politics," he said.
"But our work has just begun. The artificial barriers the Supreme Court created by erecting a so-called constitutional right out of thin air have been removed. The struggle to demonstrate we can build a culture that respects every human life, including mothers in crisis pregnancies and the babies they carry, continues," he continued.
"We must redouble our efforts to accompany women and couples who are facing unexpected or difficult pregnancies, as well as to offer mercy to those suffering the after-effects of the abortion experience," he said.
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