leaked draft from supreme court threatens abortion rights

By Lily Date, 2023

Published 5/6/22

Late on Monday, May 2nd, there was a leak of Supreme Court documentation hinting that the Court would rule in favor of the Mississippi statute, letting the state outlaw nearly all abortions after 15 weeks. This is in direct opposition of the longstanding precedent set by Roe v. Wade. Roe v. Wade not only established a person’s right to have an abortion but also their right to privacy. Without Roe v. Wade, red states such as Mississippi and Texas could pass laws limiting or even virtually eliminating access to safe abortions.

Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr’s, author of the leaked draft, wrote that “Roe was egregiously wrong from the start…Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences.” The draft says that Roe v. Wade imposed a highly restrictive regime on the country, as at the time 30 states still prohibited abortion at all stages. Alito also wrote that the Constitution says nothing about abortions, and the right to an abortion is not "deeply rooted" in our history.

In places like San Francisco and New York, abortion rights activists have been marching, while smaller areas have people protesting in front of courthouses. Regardless of location, there is clear nationwide outrage over the potential loss if abortion rights for millions of people.

In response to the draft, Connecticut legislators recently passed the Reproductive Freedom Defense Act, which would expand the number of medical specialists who are allowed to perform abortion services, protect people's medical records, and protect people getting abortions from lawsuits.