URGE DEMANDS IMMEDIATE GOVERNMENT RESPONSE IN THE WAKE OF SCOTUS DECISIONS ON WHOLE WOMEN’S HEALTH V. JACKSON & UNITED STATES V. TEXAS
Today, the Supreme Court issued decisions in Whole Women’s Health v. Jackson and the United States v. Texas – lawsuits brought by abortion providers and the Department of Justice, respectively, challenging Texas’ unconstitutional Senate Bill 8, or S.B. 8. While the Supreme Court allowed abortion providers to move forward in their fight against the abortion ban on narrow grounds, the law remains in place and access to abortion continues to be limited in Texas. This Supreme Court, stacked with conservative justices appointed with the singular goal of ending abortion, continues to sanction the bounty-hunting scheme that attacks abortion access, undermines bodily autonomy, and creates fear in Texans and across the country. S.B. 8 took effect 100 days ago, annihilating abortion access in Texas. That means that for 100 days, Texans… Read more »
URGE WARNS: YOUNG PEOPLE WILL SUFFER IF SUPREME COURT OVERTURNS ABORTION RIGHTS IN JACKSON WOMEN’S HEALTH CASE
Today, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a case whose outcome could eliminate abortion access for many Mississippians and trigger a cascade of abortion bans across the South and Midwest. As the court’s Trump-appointed conservative majority threatens to overturn a nearly 50-year precedent of Roe v. Wade, reproductive justice experts from URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity warn of how a further blow to abortion access will harm communities: Kimberly Inez McGuire (she/her/ella), Executive Director of URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity said, “In my lifetime, protections for legal abortion have become so threadbare that with this case they could crumble entirely. Anti-abortion extremists have seized state legislatures in the South and the Midwest, placed their acolytes on the Supreme Court,… Read more »
URGE DEMANDS OHIO LEGISLATORS STOP HB 480
Yesterday, Ohio Republicans introduced a total abortion ban that would be enforced by vigilantes who sue abortion providers and anyone who helps someone accessing abortion care. House Bill 480, Senate Bill 123, the trigger abortion ban, and three other blatantly anti-abortion measures are currently all pending in the Ohio legislature. HB 480 joins the harmful anti-abortion brigade led by Texas’ Senate Bill 8, which is currently before the U.S. Supreme Court. Ohio State Policy and Movement Director Sarah Inskeep (she/her) said in a statement, “Ohio’s extremist politicians like Rep. Powell and Senator Roegner remain hellbent on completely banning abortion in our state. House Bill 480 joins Senate Bill 123, the trigger abortion ban, and three other anti-abortion measures that are currently pending in the Ohio legislature. We demand nothing short of abortion justice in Ohio. We refuse to sit idly by, waiting for a potentially unfavorable court ruling or for any of… Read more »
URGE Demands that the Supreme Court Uphold Abortion Justice, Push Back Against Unconstitutional Abortion Bans
On October 22nd, the Supreme Court once again failed millions of Texans by refusing to block Texas Senate Bill 8, the unconstitutional 6-week abortion ban. However, our fight against this extremist anti-abortion ban continues. Today, SCOTUS will hear two cases, one brought by abortion providers and advocates and the other brought by the Department of Justice challenging the law on an expedited schedule. Today’s hearings represent the resilience of Texans, who refuse to stop fighting for themselves, their families, and their communities despite power-hungry politicians’ refusals to protect their reproductive freedom. The U.S. Supreme Court’s repeated refusal to act has allowed S.B. 8 to stay in effect for nearly two months, leaving thousands of Texans unable to access their constitutional right to abortion care. Since September 1st when the law… Read more »
URGE demands action from Senate Democrats & Biden after Senate Republicans Block Vote on Freedom to Vote Act
The Freedom to Vote Act is one of the most significant voting rights bills in generations. It would protect the right to vote and voter accessibility for all Americans, prevent partisan gerrymandering, and limit the influence of dark money so that billionaires cannot outspend the voices of young people and all voters. Today’s Senate vote on the Freedom to Vote Act underscores Republican support for the mountain of anti-voter statutes and the partisan gerrymandering occurring across this country. This vote blatantly displays Republicans’ commitment to opposing legislation that supports the freedom to vote. We are deeply troubled by Republican Senators’ refusal to ensure that democracy is accessible for all Americans. Young people will not stand by idly while their rights are siphoned. We call upon Democrats in the Senate to do whatever is necessary to pass this key piece of legislation. We cannot allow the filibuster or procedural technicalities to block a path to the reform that… Read more »
URGE RESPONDS TO 5TH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS’ DECISION TO KEEP S.B. 8 IN EFFECT UNTIL ITS CONSTITUTIONALITY IS DETERMINED
“A week ago, we cautiously celebrated a preliminary injunction issued by the District Court to temporarily block the harmful Texas anti-abortion legislation, S.B. 8. We held our breaths for follow-up action as we knew the ruling only provided temporary relief. Last night, the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decided to keep in effect this oppressive, fear-mongering statute, as its overall constitutionality is yet to be determined,” stated URGE Executive Director Kimberly Inez McGuire (she/her/ella). “This move continues the war on Texans’ bodily autonomy and serves to drastically limit abortion access for people who currently are pregnant or who may become pregnant in the state.” “Simply put, abortion is under attack in Texas and many other states as the whims of power-hungry white male legislators become the laws that restrict our basic freedoms. Laws like S.B. 8 are especially harmful for Black and brown women, immigrants, and trans and non-binary young people of color, the very… Read more »
URGE Demands the Texas Senate Stops the Legislative Attack on Trans Youth After Texas House Passage of H.B. 25
Late last night, the Texas House of Representatives passed H.B. 25, a bill that would prohibit transgender students in public schools from competing on athletic teams that match their gender identity. If signed into law, H.B. 25 would force young people to either compete in potentially unsafe environments, hide who they are, or not participate in sports at all. Special session after special session, extremist legislators have pushed variations of this bill, and each time, trans young people testified and kept this bill from moving forward. At the beginning of 87(3), the current special session, legislators sent variations of this bill to several committees to ensure that one of them would find a way forward. URGE has repeatedly submitted public comments to oppose the movement of the various bills… Read more »
URGE Continues Exciting Growth, Adds Ten New Staff
URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity, the only national Reproductive Justice organization that centers the voices and leadership of young people, is excited to welcome ten new staff to manage and support our programs that build #YoungPeoplePower in the South, Midwest, and California. URGE is a state-driven national organization building a young people’s movement for Reproductive Justice by providing infrastructure for young advocates to lead their own movement on their own terms. URGE organizes our communities in Alabama, California, Georgia, Kansas, Ohio, and Texas, provides a political home for young people, advocates for meaningful policy change, and shifts culture. “URGE centers the leadership of young queer, trans, and BIPOC folks—and we work to build a team that reflects and represents our communities,” said Kimberly Inez McGuire, Executive Director. “We are excited to bring in so many emerging leaders with deep experience in organizing, communications, policy, and administration nationally and in our investment states.” The new staff will be contributing… Read more »
URGE Statement on Ruling to Temporarily Block Texas’ Abortion Ban, S.B. 8
Statement from Kimberly Inez McGuire, Executive Director of URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity, on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas granting the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) a preliminary injunction in its lawsuit challenging Texas Senate Bill 8 (S.B. 8), a six-week abortion ban that would also let private citizens sue those who support people who have an abortion after this time. Under the terms of the preliminary injunction, no person may bring lawsuits against abortion providers, funds, and supporters to enforce the six-week abortion ban while litigation in the case continues. The State of Texas is also prohibited from enforcing the law. “Today’s decision by the District Court is a huge win for human rights and the fight for abortion access in Texas and across the country. Since taking effect on September 1, S.B. 8 has succeeded at instilling fear. The extremist… Read more »
URGE Celebrates the Passage of the Women’s Health Protection Act in U.S. House
(Washington, DC) URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity issued the following quotes today after the passage of the Women’s Health Protection Act (H.R.3755) in the United States House of Representatives: “At a time when states like Texas have heightened attacks on reproductive justice, it is imperative that the federal government steps in to defend abortion care across our nation. The Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA) is a crucial step toward making abortion access a reality,” said URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity Executive Director Kimberly Inez McGuire (she/her/ella). “For too long, abortion bans of all kinds have kept essential care out of reach, especially for young, low-income, and BIPOC folks. Young people in the South and Midwest are demanding solidarity and action to defend abortion and uplift our… Read more »
