Today, North Carolina Democratic Party (NCDP) Chair Bobbie Richardson, North Carolina General Assembly Democrats, and pro-choice advocates held an in-person press conference reaffirming their commitment to safe, legal abortion after a draft SCOTUS decision was released outlining their plan to strike down Roe v. Wade.
While President Biden and Democrats are fighting to make sure everyone has the power to control their own bodies, lives, and futures, the reported Supreme Court draft opinion uncovering that conservative justices are set to overturn Roe v. Wade is the result of Republicans’ unrelenting radical war on health care and the right to choose.
From the GOP candidates for U.S. Senate to Republicans in Raleigh, it’s clear that reproductive freedom is on the ballot. North Carolinians will hold them accountable at the ballot box.
Click here to watch the full event.
“In North Carolina, everything is on the line. Republican U.S. Senate candidates have made it clear that they will support efforts to restrict reproductive freedom. During the recent legislative session, we saw attempts to ban abortion, but Democrats were united voting against abortion restrictions and Governor Cooper vetoed attempts to restrict abortion access. North Carolina Democrats will continue to fight like hell to protect the right to access safe, legal abortion,” said NCDP Chair Bobbie Richardson.
“Although it’s not final yet, the draft SCOTUS decision is signaling a complete overhaul of 50 years of a constitutional guarantee and right for women to make their own decisions about reproductive rights and health care. How do we fight back? Every person in this state and country must vote. We have to elect people who recognize a woman’s freedom and liberty and give her the choice to plan her own family,” said State Representative Marcia Morey.
“The news that we received last night made the evening very somber. I’m thirty-eight years old and have never known a world where we did not have the right to choose. American values are supposed to be founded on our freedom to choose. That’s what Republicans claim that they care about – freedom. Our freedom to choose what we want to do to chart our own destinies and futures. But at this point, that feels like more of an illusion than a reality,” said State Senator Natalie Murdock.
“Given that Roe v. Wade has always been the floor and not ceiling of abortion access, removing this final federal protection would be devastating for millions of people in the United States. Abortion is still legal in all 50 states and clinics are still open to providing care to patients, including in North Carolina. But we must act urgently to protect the care that we have in North Carolina. We can’t allow anti-abortion judges and elected officials to play politics with peoples’ lives,” said Tara Romano, Pro-Choice North Carolina, Executive Director.
“As an abortion provider in the South, we have been preparing for this moment. We are committed to finding the best solutions for the communities we serve and continue to provide essential health care. We know many people are confused, frustrated and scared right now. Texas and its neighboring states had very little time to prepare for abortion being banned. We now have a little bit more time to prepare – and that is what we’re doing right now,” said Jillian Riley, Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, NC Director of Public Affairs
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