Why Roe Matters
Speaking at the Reproductive Rights rally organized by Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, Cobalt, Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR), and others.
As we saw this week, the prospect that the Supreme Court will overrule Roe v. Wade is more real than ever.
In 1992, the Supreme Court considered whether to overrule Roe v. Wade. Instead, it reaffirmed Roe in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, protecting the right “to be free from unwarranted governmental intrusion into matters so fundamentally affecting a person as the decision whether to bear or beget a child.”
The Casey decision settled the question of the right to an abortion for a generation. Justice Ginsburg explained at her confirmation hearing a couple of years later a core rationale for that ruling—a woman is not in an equal position to a man if she is forced to bear a child against her will. And the American public agrees with Justice Ginsburg and overwhelmingly supports keeping Roe v. Wade in place. And, yet, the reality is now setting in that we are approaching a new era.
In this new era, we must take seriously what lies ahead, particularly for low-income women in many states that are set to criminalize abortion. To promote liberty and justice for all, we must each do our part to ensure Colorado remains a beacon for equal rights and personal liberty in the face of uncertainty. And we must remain ready for future battles to protect liberty and equality.
Thankfully, this spring, Colorado passed the Reproductive Health Equity Act to protect access to safe and legal abortions at the state level. More must be done, however, to ensure that women across the country can access abortion and reproductive health care. I will continue to protect abortion services for all who come to our state, access to birth control, and equal rights for all.
The work ahead builds on my record as your Attorney General. Over the last three and a half years, I have defended reproductive rights, including (1) opposing the unconstitutional abortion bans across the nation including in Texas, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Louisiana; and (2) defending vital Title X funding for women’s health and reproductive health care. That’s why NARAL and Cobalt have endorsed me to continue my work to promote equality, reproductive health care, and bodily autonomy.
As we approach the work ahead, we must remember that elections, and particularly state elections, matter. And in those elections, your voice and your engagement will make a difference.
Thank you for helping me defend abortion access, individual liberty, and equal rights for all.