URGE Demands that the Supreme Court Uphold Abortion Justice, Push Back Against Unconstitutional Abortion Bans
November 1, 2021
Kwentoria Williams
kwwilliams@urge.org
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 first went into effect, the most marginalized Texans – Black and Brown women, immigrants, and trans and non-binary young people of color – have suffered at the hands of a government that historically has and continues to oppress and harm them and their reproductive rights. Today, SCOTUS has a chance to show not only Texans, but all Americans, that decisions about pregnancy and parenting belong to the people.
While we are deeply troubled by the Supreme Court allowing S.B. 8 – a law created to oppress and cause fear – to remain law for this long, we will continue to fight for abortion justice.
“For young people in Texas, SB 8 has already caused irreparable harm in accessing abortion care. The Supreme Court must protect the right to abortion and push back against the unconstitutional laws by extremist legislators who seek to create fear with these abortion restrictions,” says Desireé Luckey, Director of Policy at URGE. URGE demands that SCOTUS protect abortion access in Texas because an abortion ban in Texas is an abortion ban across the United States. We also demand free access to abortion pills and an end to all restrictions on abortion care and coverage. Only then can we truly achieve the reproductive and abortion justice that we seek and need.
