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June 24, 2022 “No woman can call herself free who does not control her own body.” – Margaret Sanger Today, in a long-anticipated decision, the Supreme Court did something it has never done before – it chose to take away a fundamental constitutional right. The Dobbs v. Jackson decision overturned a half-century of precedent and will turn millions of women into criminals for exercising bodily autonomy and accessing critical reproductive healthcare. The decision could also have serious ramifications for the right to privacy which serves as the basis for protecting the right to marry whomever you want, access to contraceptives, sexual privacy, and a litany of other fundamental rights. Make no mistake, this decision is misogynistic, classist, and will have devastating consequences for women of lesser means and for women of color. I remain optimistic, however, because this fight isn’t over. In Maryland, we have codified the protections of Roe into law. This past legislative session Democrats in the legislature overturned the Governor’s veto of the Abortion Access Act, a measure that will ensure every woman in Maryland will have timely access to reproductive healthcare providers. We further provided $3.5 million in the State budget to train additional healthcare workers across the State to ensure equitable access to legal and safe reproductive care in Maryland. Governor Hogan has chosen not to release those funds for use this year – I continue to work with my Democratic colleagues in the legislature to implore him to do so.
Maryland is and will remain a place where women can come to seek quality reproductive health care. But we can and we must do more. What we’ve done:
What we can do:
Please know that I will continue our fight to safeguard reproductive rights here in Maryland. In solidarity,
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