June 27, 2022
Despite U.S. Supreme Court decision, national coalition of 22
attorneys general emphasize that abortion remains safe and legal in states
across the country
Carson City, NV – Today, Attorney General Aaron D. Ford and a national coalition
of 22 attorneys general issued a joint statement reaffirming their commitment
to supporting and expanding access to abortion care. Despite the U.S. Supreme
Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, access
to safe and legal abortion remains robustly protected in numerous states across
the country, including in Nevada and the coalition states. As highlighted by
the multistate coalition’s efforts in the
amicus brief led by California in Dobbs, the coalition of attorneys
general will continue to fight to support the rights of pregnant people
nationwide.
The statement is as follows:
“Abortion care is healthcare. Period. We stand
together, as our states’ chief law officers,
to proudly say that we will not back down in the fight to protect the rights of
pregnant people in our states and across the country. While the U.S. Supreme
Court’s decision reverses nearly half a century of legal precedent and
undermines the rights of people across the United States, we’re joining
together to reaffirm our commitment to supporting and expanding access to
abortion care nationwide.
“While this is a perilous moment for our
nation, it is a moment that calls for action. Our promise to our residents is
simple: We’ll never stop defending your rights. Regardless of the decision in Dobbs,
broad access to abortion remains protected in states that recognize
reproductive freedom, such as ours. We refuse to go back to the days of
politicians trying to tell people what to do with their bodies. When it comes
to abortion care, it’s your body and your right to choose. Nobody else gets to
make those decisions.
“For generations, Americans have relied on the
existence of a constitutional right to abortion to make deeply personal
decisions about their lives, their futures, and their families. As a result of
the decision in Dobbs, people across the nation are now confronted with
the prospect of having to travel from their homes to our states to seek access
to the fundamental healthcare to which they should be entitled. For those
unable to make the journey, laws banning abortion in their home states will
lead to poorer health outcomes and reduced socioeconomic opportunities. Those
harms will fall disproportionately on people of color and people with fewer
resources, further perpetuating our nation’s historical inequities.
“Ultimately, what harms people in some states
harms us all. The future and well-being of our nation is intrinsically tied to
the ability of our residents to exercise their fundamental rights, including
the right to liberty, privacy and access to abortion care. If you seek access
to abortion and reproductive healthcare, we’re committed to using the full
force of the law to support you. You have our word. We will continue to use all
legal tools at our disposal to fight for your rights and stand up for our laws.
We will support our partners and service providers. Together, we will
persist.”
In issuing today’s statement, Attorney General
Ford joins the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut,
Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland,
Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North
Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and
Washington.
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