Sen. Jesse Salomon (D-Shoreline) released this statement after a draft opinion leaked this week indicates that the U.S. Supreme Court plans to reverse 50 years of settled law and overturn abortion rights by repealing Roe v. Wade.
“This is a terrible action by every measure. Whether you believe in the right to choose, or you trust in our courts to respect and honor past legal precedents, or believe individuals should have control over their bodies, this court opinion flies in the face of half a century of settled law and the reproductive rights of Americans.
“Our consolation is that this is not a shocking turn of events. After public comments by in past months made it clear that recent court appointees were seriously considering the repeal of Roe v. Wade and similar settled law, we took critical action at the state level to codify these basic rights for all Washingtonians.
“When we passed HB 1851, we ensured the reproductive rights and freedom of Washington residents in two key ways. One, the law explicitly allows physician assistants, advance registered nurse practitioners and other providers acting within their scope of practice to perform abortions. Two, it 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.
“I am proud to have voted for this critical state law to protect these fundamental, crucial rights. Regardless of what the U.S. Supreme Court does, people in Washington and people who come to Washington know that here the right to choose is protected against the whims of judicial appointees who would exert personal ideology to override legal precedent.”
