Statement from the Washington State Budget & Policy Center 

Every person in this country should be afforded the opportunity, dignity, and self-determination to try to shape their own future. That includes being able to choose if and when to have a family. And that necessarily includes legal and safe access to abortion and reproductive health care.

The consequences of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision – made by the justices who are gutting civil and human rights – to overturn Roe v. Wade and strip away access to abortion is devastating for people and health care providers in the United States. And while abortion rightfully remains legal in Washington state, thanks to the hard work and passion of progressive advocates and lawmakers here, it doesn’t change the fact that the Supreme Court’s decision is bad for our shared future. The decision is particularly harmful for the people who our systems are already failing, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color; LGBTQ+ people; immigrants; people with disabilities; and people with low incomes.

As Sarah Dixit of Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho wrote on our blog last month, “there are many aspects of someone’s identity that determine their ability to access abortion care, most of which can be tied to their socioeconomic status and their racial identity. Wealthy, white, cis-women will still be able to access abortion care regardless of where they live, due to the fact that they can travel out of state with relative ease. Whereas folks of color living paycheck to paycheck, often with children already at home in their care, will not have the time, money, or ability to travel hundreds, if not thousands of miles for abortion care.”

At a time when people in our country need greater access to health care and other services that support their well-being, lawmakers should be laser-focused on supporting our communities and the well-being of us all. They should be working to ensure everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Instead, these Supreme Court justices – buoyed by the special interests who back them – have made a decision that will strip away people’s bodily autonomy, potentially take away their chances for economic security, and in some cases, lead them to dangerous alternative procedures.

Much has been written and will continue to be written about what this decision means for people’s lives, health, and economic well-being. We encourage our readers to learn from and make gifts to the local and national organizations that have long been advocating for reproductive justice and a pregnant person’s right to choose (listed below). We honor the critical work that these and so many other organizations are doing every day for and with communities – and we will follow their lead in the movement for accessible and safe reproductive health care.