California politicians say they will move to amend the state’s constitution to offer explicit abortion rights, prompted by news that the U.S. Supreme Court is prepared to strike down 1973’s landmark Roe v. Wade decision.
State leaders want voters in November to approve permanent protection for abortion in the state’s constitution, a move that would first require lawmakers to have a supermajority vote in both legislative houses in order to get the amendment added to the ballot.
“Our daughters, sisters, mothers, and grandmothers will not be silenced. The world is about to hear their fury,” Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, tweeted. “California will not sit back. We are going to fight like hell.”
In a stunning leak, Politico published a draft majority opinion from Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. Monday night that showed the majority has privately voted to overturn Roe v. Wade.
However, the ruling is not yet final and is expected to come in June or July. The draft opinion is from February.
“Roe was egregiously wrong from the start,” Justice Alito wrote. “Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences. And far from bringing about a national settlement of the abortion issue, Roe and Casey have enflamed debate and deepened division.”
Casey refers to the 1992 abortion-rights case Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.
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