CHARLESTON, W.Va. – American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia (ACLU-WV) Legal Director Loree Stark issued the following statement today following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to upend 50 years of precedent and deny millions the constitutional right to an abortion.
“This decision is a disaster for people in need of abortion care, and its impacts will fall disproportionately on Black West Virginians and people in poverty. Because West Virginia legislators have failed to explicitly repeal an archaic 19th Century law criminalizing abortion, providers can no longer feel safe offering the procedure in the state. We are still reviewing the decision in its entirety, analyzing how it relates to federal and state law, and aggressively exploring every possible avenue forward. West Virginians should be able to get the lifesaving healthcare they need, and no one should be forced to carry a pregnancy to term against their will.”