Statement on Supreme Court’s Devastating Decision Overturning Roe v. Wade

ATLANTA — The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision today in Dobbs overturned 50 years of legal precedence and stripped away the constitutional rights of millions of people to access abortions. 

In Georgia, the period of time a person can seek an abortion will be limited to the first six weeks of pregnancy, a time period when many may be unaware that they are even pregnant. 

Common Cause Georgia opposed the 2019 law to limit women’s rights to accessible reproductive care through the so-called “Heartbeat Bill.” 

The Court’s opinion is the latest in a long string of dangerous decisions that have undermined people’s fundamental rights. 

Other U.S. Supreme Court decisions that have trampled precedent, popular sentiment, and common sense include — Citizens United v. FEC, McCutcheon v. FEC which allowed big money to flood campaigns; Shelby County v. Holder, which drastically curtailed voting rights; Rucho v. Common Cause, which enabled state gerrymandering, and Thursday’s decision in New York State Rifle v. Bruen which weakened state efforts to control gun violence. 

Statement of Aunna Dennis, Executive Director Common Cause Georgia

As a mother, I’m hurt and disappointed by today’s Supreme Court decision stripping away a person’s constitutional right to seek an abortion. This will have profound implications for the basic rights of all citizens and lays bare the political nature of the current U.S. Supreme Court.

Access to abortion here in Georgia will be significantly restricted now that the protections Roe guaranteed are gone. Georgians across the state from rural to metro areas  already face disproportionate hurdles to access health and reproductive care. Dobbs will make it that much harder for women of color and those without the means to travel to access an abortion. 

This harmful ruling may also infringe upon the expectation of privacy that those seeking safe reproductive services should have when it comes to their medical and patient records. 

This is the latest in a series of decisions that elevate the rights of politicians, corporations and those in power over reproductive rights, the rights of people of color and ordinary voters.

This concerted campaign to select and confirm ideological justices has been decades in the making. The responsibility sits squarely with the elected officials, especially senators and presidents, who must answer for their actions at the ballot box.