OLYMPIA — Sen. Annette Cleveland has released the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court overturning a half a century of settled law and overriding the nation’s landmark Roe v. Wade ruling:
“As a woman and as a lifelong advocate for reproductive choice, I was appalled to see the Court reverse 50 years of legal precedents that protect the right to choose.
“The right to an abortion has been settled law for generations. When the Roe v. Wade decision was handed down in 1973, my grandmother shared with me the importance and life changing impact it would have on our country. I made a promise to her then to protect that right for the next generations, and yet today my grown daughter is facing a country without choice.
“Here in Washington, we proactively took action in this year’s legislative session. We passed HB 1851 to codify the reproductive rights of Washington residents and those who seek abortion services in Washington into state law.
“This new law ensures that physician assistants, advance registered nurse practitioners and other providers acting within their scope of practice may perform the full range of reproductive care, including abortions. It also prohibits the state from taking action against someone based on a pregnancy outcome or for assisting someone who is pregnant in exercising their right to reproductive freedom.
“The high court’s radical reversal of 50 years of existing law is a valuable reminder that our state can, and must, pass laws to protect Washingtonians’ rights from those who would discard legal precedent and recast our laws to satisfy ideological agendas.
“As the state senator for the 49th District and the chair of the Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee, I am proud to have voted to preserve the fundamental right to choose for the people in my district and across our state, and I stand in anger and solidarity with those across the nation impacted by this dangerous decision.”
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