Statement On Supreme Court Action Allowing SB8 To Stay In Effect

Today, the United States Supreme Court again chose to allow SB8, an extreme and unconstitutional anti-abortion law in Texas that effectively bans abortion care after six weeks, to remain in force.

The following is a statement of Rebecca Hart-Holder, Executive Director of Reproductive Equity Now on today’s decision. Reproductive Equity Now is the local grassroots organization focused on passing policies to promote reproductive health equity in the region.

“The Texas abortion ban is a calculated, insidious law designed by abortion opponents to strip away the rights of pregnant people and get around any legal challenges to it. The latest decision by the Court means Texans seeking abortion care will need to travel hundreds of miles out-of-state to access services - if they can afford it.

The decision will also embolden anti-choice state legislatures to pass even more draconian anti-choice laws.  We have seen this coming for years. This has never been some far-off danger, it is an imminent threat.  And, we are already seeing the impact here in Massachusetts where providers are treating pregnant people traveling from Texas to receive care.

The path forward is clear. Abortion access is and always has been a state battle. In spite of a clear and present danger to our bodily autonomy for decades, Congress has failed to act. This is a state-by-state, voter-by-voter battle to flip anti-choice seats so that anti-choice laws are overridden and overturned. The good news is we have the vast majority of people on our side who believe in and will stand up for reproductive freedom and gender equality. Massachusetts is a national model and will be a national leader to bring this grassroots fight in New England and across the country.”