CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia advocates, medical providers, legal experts and others sounded the alarm Wednesday as oral arguments began at the U.S. Supreme Court in a case that could end access to safe, legal abortion.
Justices began hearing arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a Mississippi case that will test pre-viability limits long established by the Court. In addition, the state of Mississippi has asked the Court to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that has affirmed the constitutional right to an abortion for nearly five decades.
Speaking from the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court where a crowd of thousands had gathered in support of abortion rights, WV FREE CEO Margaret Chapman-Pomponio called the case a watershed moment.
“The stakes couldn’t be higher. Our reproductive rights hang in the balance,” Chapman-Pomponio said. “At the same time, there are extremist politicians in the West Virginia Legislature who are bent on passing cruel Texas- and Mississippi-style abortion bans that would be devastating to West Virginians.”
If anti-abortion extremists are successful in front of the court, there will be an immediate impact on West Virginia and throughout the U.S, ACLU-WV Legal Director Loree Stark said.
“If the state of Mississippi succeeds today in that ask — to overturn Roe — it is a matter of when, not if, other states across the country will pass their own legislation to make abortion inaccessible, policy that will affect marginalized communities more than any others,” Stark said.
Anti-bodily autonomy lawmakers in West Virginia have continued to chip away at this fundamental right for years. Although abortion remains legal in West Virginia, it can be difficult to access for many because of high poverty rates, lack of resources and the fact that just one abortion clinic remains in the state.
"We hope the Court will uphold the precedent set by Roe v. Wade, but we know that Roe has never been enough. Abortion still remains out of reach for far too many,” said Katie Quiñonez, Women’s Health Center of West Virginia (WHCWV) executive director. “No one should have their personal medical decisions controlled by judges, politicians, anti-abortion vigilantes seeking financial gain, or anyone else.
“As our state's only abortion provider, we will never stop providing safe, legal abortion and helping people access the abortions they need,” Quiñonez added. “Now is the time for bold action - donate to abortion funds and independent abortion providers, and urge Congress to pass federal legislation to protect abortion access.”
Alisa Clements, director of public affairs for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic (PPSAT), said: “Abortion is a common, safe, and normal part of health care, but for too long, we have allowed abortion stigma to shame people into silence about their personal experiences. And for decades, people in power have exploited that stigma and passed law after law that strips people of the right to control if, when, and how to have a child. Where you live, who you are, or the amount of money you make should never determine your ability to make significant and life-changing decisions about your body and future. This must stop with us — abortion justice can’t wait.”
Julie Archer, project manager for the West Virginia Citizen Action Group (CAG), said: "This moment is the culmination of a decades-long takeover of the federal judiciary by right-wing billionaires, corporate special interests, and dark-money groups that have spent tens of millions of dollars to confirm Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett and then try to influence the Court’s decision-making. This is a pivotal moment for the U.S. Supreme Court to demonstrate that it decides cases based on precedent and rule of law, not politics or ideology."
Meredith Hartery, president of the West Virginia chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW) said: "Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization is the next calculated step in fully eliminating access to abortion – not just in Mississippi but for all Americans. It is also the very next step WV extremists were preparing for in 2018 with the creation and passage of the first and only amendment to the West Virginia Constitution, which denies protections or funding for abortion services. We know West Virginians need more access to health care – not less – and abortion restrictions disproportionately impact women, people of color, the LGBTQIA+ community, and other historically excluded communities as a means to further deny basic human rights that are essential for social, economic, and racial equality."
Andrew Schneider, Fairness West Virginia executive director, said: “All people, including LGBTQ people, deserve the chance to decide for themselves if, when, and how they become pregnant. It’s crucial that the Supreme Court protects a person’s right to make this important decision for themselves. Restrictive anti-abortion laws are particularly harmful for LGBTQ people, who often depend on the other reproductive health services abortion providers offer. Transgender people still report alarming rates of discrimination and harassment when accessing the care they need, and many times abortion providers also offer the only culturally competent and compassionate care in a given area. If Roe is overturned, it will be a public health crisis for our community.”
The press conference can be viewed at: https://www.facebook.com/ACLUWV/videos/168763538758392