Roe. v. Wade – RI Future

June 27, 2016June 27, 2016

SCOTUS abortion ruling has RI impact

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Local reactions to the Supreme Court decision Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, which is being hailed as the most important reproductive rights decision in decades, have started to come in. Arguing that “…it is beyond rational belief that H.B. 2 could genuinely protect the health of women, and certain that the law ‘would simply make it more difficult for them to obtain abortions,” Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg joined Steven Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, Anthony Kennedy and Elena Kagan in the 5-3 decision that struck down a controversial law that closed 75 percent of abortion clinics in Texas.

Breyer wrote the opinion, saying, “Both the admitting-privileges and the surgical-center requirements place a substantial obstacle in the path of women seeking a previability abortion, constitute an undue burden on abortion access, and thus violate the Constitution.”

The full statement from Planned Parenthood Votes! Rhode Island:

Today, June 27, 2016, the United States Supreme Court upheld the Constitutional right to abortion. In its 5-3 ruling on Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, the Court struck dangerous restrictions on abortion providers in Texas.

While the Court’s decision ultimately does not affect Rhode Island women and families today, Planned Parenthood Votes! Rhode Island warns that existing Rhode Island laws and an anti-abortion rights majority in the General Assembly threaten reproductive freedom for Rhode Island residents.

“The Supreme Court made it clear that politicians cannot pass laws to block access to safe, legal abortion. Yet today’s victory does not undo the past five years of damage and restrictions already written into law across the country and what is at stake this fall in Rhode Island,” said Craig O’Connor, Director of Public Policy and Government Relations, Rhode Island with Planned Parenthood Votes! Rhode Island. “We will continue to fight restrictions on safe, legal abortion on behalf of all people in Rhode Island. This year, Rhode Islanders will make it known at the polls that anti-abortion politicians have no place in the Rhode Island State House.”

The Supreme Court’s landmark ruling protected access to safe, legal abortion by blocking two unconstitutional Texas restrictions. As the Court recognized, “neither of these provisions offers medical benefits sufficient to justify the burdens upon access that each imposes.”

In Rhode Island, several anti-abortion laws exist that have real world effects on abortion access, for example, the prohibition on state employee’s health insurance from covering abortion. In fact, language in Article 1, Section 2 of the Rhode Island Constitution explicitly states, “Nothing in this section shall be construed to grant or secure any right relating to abortion or the funding thereof.” Therefore, if ultimately the Supreme Court reverses its position on Roe v. Wade, there could be very real and very devastating repercussions throughout Rhode Island.

“Physicians and patients must be free to make informed and medically-appropriate decisions without interference from ill-informed legislation,” said Jennifer Villavicencio, MD, with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). “Abortion is a fundamental aspect of women’s health care and must be protected. Rhodes Islanders need to ask their State Senators and State Representatives where they stand on abortion rights and reproductive freedom.”

Steven Brown, Executive Director with the ACLU of Rhode Island, said that the ACLU of Rhode Island has sued the state more than six times over restrictive abortion laws since Roe v. Wade. Brown said that although each suit has been successful, “much work remains to be done to make our state a place that respects reproductive freedom.”

NARAL Pro-Choice America – in its annual “Who Decides” scorecard – labeled the RI House and Senate anti-abortion. NARAL also downgraded Rhode Island to an F rating on reproductive rights – from a previous D+ rating. NARAL awarded the same score to Texas.

According to The Guttmacher Institute, politicians have passed 316 restrictions on safe, legal abortion at the state level since 2011.

Rev. David A. Ames, Priest-in-Charge at All Saints’ Memorial Church in Providence and Member of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund Clergy Advocacy Board said that all people have “an inherent right to reproductive health care.” Ames explained, “We must continue working to expand reproductive freedom in Rhode Island.”

The RI ACLU’s Steve Brown offered an additional statement, saying, “We are extremely pleased that the Supreme Court has struck down these cruel and insincere efforts to interfere with a woman’s basic constitutional right. But this is hardly the end of the matter. Since Roe v. Wade was handed down, the ACLU of Rhode Island has been forced to sue the state at least half a dozen times over restrictive abortion laws. Although every one of those suits has been successful, Rhode Island continues to impose significant barriers to a woman’s right to choose, allowable under other U.S. Supreme Court rulings. As a result, much work remains to be done to make our state a place that respects reproductive freedom.”

January 20, 2016January 20, 2016

Reproductive freedom still elusive in Rhode Island

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On January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Roe v Wade ensured that women have the right to reproductive freedom. This opinion was reaffirmed in 1992 when the Court ruled that “throughout this century, this Court also has held that the fundamental right of privacy protects citizens against governmental intrusion in such intimate family matters as procreation, childrearing, marriage, and contraceptive choice…and this Court correctly applied these principles to a woman’s right to choose abortion.”

Our views of women’s equality, participation in the labor force, and control over one’s own body have shifted dramatically in the past five decades. In 1965, only married women had contraceptive rights guaranteed by Griswold v. Connecticut. It took until 1972, a year before Roe, for the Supreme Court to rule that unmarried women had the right to birth control pills.

Prior to Roe, thousands of women died in the United States because they were forced to seek abortion in unsafe conditions. Women of color and those of limited economic means were particularly at risk of losing their life from an illegal abortion. Affluent women, however, were able to travel overseas or to states where abortions were legal.

Unfortunately, the gains made to protect women’s reproductive care – from access to abortion to affordable, accessible birth control – continue to be threatened by those who aim to take away a woman’s right to determine what is best for her own health and her own life.

In state legislatures across the country, opponents of reproductive freedom continue to gain ground. In the past five years, state legislatures have passed over 280 laws restricting a woman’s right to safe, legal abortion. Many of these laws intervene in the physician-patient relationship, requiring a woman’s doctor to provide her with inaccurate medical information. Other laws add unnecessary red tape to physicians’ practices and create hurdles to providing women with health care. The effect has been to increase costs and close clinics. In parts of the United States, women are once again traveling hours to access health care.

Some of the most egregious laws have been enacted in Texas. The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in early March and this case is likely to be the most important decision about abortion rights since Roe itself. Attorneys General from twelve states, including our neighbors in Connecticut and Massachusetts, filed an amicus brief asking the Court to invalidate the Texas laws.

While we have not seen similar roll backs enacted in Rhode Island, women’s autonomy is still at risk. In 2013, the Rhode Island General Assembly attempted to create Choose Life license plates that would support “pregnancy crisis centers” and religious institutions that lobby against reproductive rights. The bill was vetoed by Governor Chafee. Just last week, a “fetal heartbeat” bill was introduced into the Rhode Island House that, if passed, could potentially criminalize abortion.

Even without new laws, however, the ones we currently have significantly curtail a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions. Women under 18 must receive parental consent to have an abortion. Though it’s been found to be unconstitutional, Rhode Island law still says a woman must tell her husband of plans for an abortion, even if doing so would put her life at risk. Thousands of Rhode Islanders do not have health insurance that covers abortion because state law prohibits health insurance plans available to state and municipal employees from covering it. Our state also prohibits Medicaid from covering abortions in most circumstances.

Rhode Island’s constitution provides equal protection under the laws, stating that “no otherwise qualified person shall, solely by reason of race, gender or handicap be subject to discrimination by the state, its agents or any person or entity doing business with the state.” There’s just one caveat: such protections do not apply to a woman’s access to abortion. In New England, Rhode Island sticks out like a sore thumb: our state receives a grade of D+ from NARAL Pro-Choice America, because our laws do not adequately protect reproductive freedom. By contrast, even conservative states like Alaska and West Virginia get Bs, because their constitutions provide stronger protections.

Just as they did 50 years ago, these current and proposed restrictions on reproductive rights disproportionately affect middle and low income Rhode Islanders. While some women can travel to neighboring states and privately pay for health care, many cannot. As we look back and see how far we’ve come on our march for reproductive freedom, let’s not forget that we still have far to go.

January 22, 2013January 23, 2013

Happy 40th, Roe v. Wade

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On the 40^th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Rhode Island Coalition for Reproductive Justice (formerly RI Choice Coalition) continues to stand with women and their families to reinforce the importance of safe and legal abortion. The coalition is pleased to announce its new name on this important anniversary and to recognize the significance of working toward reproductive justice beyond access to abortion. Reproductive Justice takes into account the multiple identities of a person and the social context in which they live and how that impacts their access to healthcare. As a coalition we are committed to ensuring Rhode Islanders are able to make decisions concerning their reproduction free of discrimination, coercion and violence.

Coalition leaders are working actively in the legislature and the community to preserve women’s access to a wide range of health care options and to advocate for affordable, quality healthcare for all. In addition, a new organization, Rhode Island Clergy for Reproductive Choice has been formed and will work in concert with the Reproductive Justice Coalition to bring faith voices into our advocacy and grassroots work on these important issues.

Despite a woman’s constitutional right to make her own personal medical decisions without interference from politicians, access to safe and legal abortion is still at risk in legislatures across the country including our own. Rhode Island is one of 22 states – and the only state in New England – that the Guttmacher Institute designates as “hostile” to women’s reproductive health.

Recent public opinion research conducted by Planned Parenthood Federation of America concluded that the way in which people identify with the issue of abortion has shifted over the years. Labels like “pro-choice” and “pro-life” no longer reflect the way most people think about the complex decision-making that is required when women consider abortion. Americans recognize that these decisions are deeply personal, and should be left to a woman to decide in consultation with her family, physician and faith.

Partner Statements

Peter Stein, Chair of the RI Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice:

Rhode Island’s proud heritage is grounded in broad religious freedom and tolerance. We are home to the first synagogue in the country, the first Baptist church in America, and many other grand and significant houses of worship. We are blessed with a vibrant and important religious life in our state. We must always defend the freedom of religion and celebrate the diversity of viewpoints in our state. Quite simply, when access to abortion, birth control and other medical services is limited, it prevents women from taking action that is permitted by their personal religious teaching. As we remember the Roe v. Wade decision, let us celebrate that it allows women to be respected as moral decision makers who are in control of their own bodies.

Harry Knox, National President Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice:

We celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade at a time of increasing attacks on the very freedoms Roe provides. The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice is growing to meet these challenges so that people of faith will be heard in the public square calling prophetically for empowerment of women’s moral agency and expansion of access to compassionate abortion care.

Neil A. Corkery, former member of the RI House of Representatives, current member of the Board of Directors of Catholics for Choice:

Rhode Island was founded under a just doctrine: that individuals have the right to determine the course of their lives according to their personal beliefs. In this state there should be no question: every woman has the right to decide the future of her pregnancy according to her conscience, whatever her reasons or circumstances. A just society simply does not compel women to continue an undesired pregnancy.

Paula Hodges, RI Public Policy & Advocacy Director at PPSNE:

A majority of Americans oppose efforts to overturn Roe v. Wade, which was made crystal clear in November, when they voted to protect a woman’s ability to make her own personal medical decisions without interference from politicians. Legislators who interfere with a woman’s access to safe and legal abortion fail to recognize the views of their constituents. It is time for Rhode Island to focus on helping women and families get access to preventive health services, annual exams and access to effective and affordable birth control. In doing so we can work together to empower families, reduce unintended pregnancies and align Rhode Island with other New England states.

Kate Brock, executive director of Ocean State Action:

Today we are reminded of the great strides women have made in achieving full equality in Rhode Island and beyond. At the core of this progress is the ability to control one’s reproductive decisions, and they are decisions that belong with a woman, her family and her doctor, not politicians in the Statehouse.

Carolyn Mark, president RI National Organization for Women:

On the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we need to remember that women’s reproductive rights have been and will always be inextricably linked to our ability to achieve economic and social equality in this country. When women have access to comprehensive reproductive health services, including abortion, we gain the capacity to participate fully in all aspects of public and private life. While there are forces in this country that seek to deny women our basic rights, there remains a persistent majority that respects the fact that decisions regarding reproductive health care are a matter of privacy and should remain that way. We can never go back.

January 17, 2012

RI Choice Coalition to Commemorate 39th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade at State House on Thursday

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The Rhode Island Choice Coalition will gather in the RI State House Rotunda on Thursday, January 19th at 3pm to recognize the 39th anniversary of the landmark Roe. v. Wade decision. In Roe, the Supreme Court found that a woman’s right to decide whether to become a parent deserves the highest level of constitutional protection. The commemoration event will recognize decision makers who play a vital role in protecting women’s health in the state of Rhode Island.

Advocates from all walks including nonprofit leaders, legislators and members of the clergy will convene to discuss the state of reproductive justice in Rhode Island and the ongoing efforts to ensure access to reproductive health services within the state’s newly formed health care exchange.

The Rhode Island Choice Coalition exists to preserve, promote and protect all aspects of women’s reproductive health care and reproductive justice through advocacy and legislative action statewide and nationally.

With special guests

First Lady Stephanie Chafee
Senator Josh Miller (D-28)
Representative Edith Ajello (D-3)
Representative Teresa Tanzi (D-34)
Rabbi Peter Stein
PPSNE President & CEO Judy Tabar

For more information contact Paula Hodges, RI Policy & Advocacy Director for PPSNE at 401-421-7820 x3145 or paula.hodges@ppsne.org.