The local fallout from the leak of a draft opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court that would overturn women’s constitutional right to an abortion swiftly reached the shores of Laguna Beach Tuesday.
In a historically liberal city where residents overwhelmingly voted for Joe Biden in 2020, news of the projected overturn of the landmark Roe v. Wade decision is widely seen as a deep blow.
Chief Justice John Roberts said in a statement that the document obtained by Politico document is real but doesn’t represent the final decision of the court.
Laguna Beach Mayor Sue Kempf said the latest news from the Supreme Court underscores the fact that elections matter.
“Justice Kavanaugh and Justice Barrett seemed to indicate that Roe was settled law in their confirmation hearings. This will have an impact for generations to come. I fear privacy will continue to erode in this country and I hope that’s not the case,” Kempf said in a phone interview.
Last October, about 400 people turned out to Main Beach in solidarity with a national march supporting women’s reproductive rights. Orange County Sup. Katrina Foley and Assemblymember Cottie Petrie Norris (D-Irvine) were among the elected officials who spoke in defense of the right to an abortion.
“We knew this was coming. Even as we celebrated Roe’s 49th anniversary this year, we knew. But I am still reeling from this news. Horrified by what it means for millions of American women. And more determined than ever to protect reproductive freedom in California,” Petrie-Norris wrote in a Tweet on Tuesday.
Rep. Katie Porter (D-Irvine), who is running to represent the newly-drawn 47th Congressional District, offered her read of Associate Justice Samuel Alito’s draft opinion on MSNBC late Monday.
“I’d encourage everyone to read the first six or seven sentences of this draft opinion. He starts by saying abortion is a topic on which Americans have very different moral values. Agreed, and that is all the more reason this ought to be a decision left to every American to make for themselves not a decision that is limited, that is restricted, a freedom that is taken away by a supreme court,” Porter said.
State Sen. Dave Min (D-Irvine) vowed to join with other California leaders in fighting against what he characterized as a “massive intrusion into our private lives.”
“It seems apparent that there are at least five radical, extremist ideologues on the U.S. Supreme Court, who promised to respect the rule of law during their confirmation hearings, and are now eager to break that promise by eviscerating 50 years of well-settled precedent in taking away the longstanding constitutionally protected right to access abortions,” Min said in a prepared statement.
Min urged fellow men outraged by the high court’s expected decision to join him in the effort to safeguard women’s healthcare.
“We must show up and stand in support of our mothers, our sisters, our daughters, and our friends,” Min said.
The expected decision is a direct attack on women’s equality, something that nation has not yet achieved and now will be even further away from, said Gwen McNallan, president of the Laguna Beach Democratic Club.
“I was a toddler when Roe v. Wade was decided, so I have not known a world without the protection of women’s reproductive rights. Neither have my daughters. This is truly heartbreaking, especially for the 20-plus states with trigger laws making it illegal for women to access abortion care as soon as Roe v. Wade is overturned,” McNallan said.
The Democratic Club is participating and has invited its members to attend a rally with Planned Parenthood at 10 a.m. on May 14 at Centennial Regional Park in Santa Ana.
This story is developing and will be updated as necessary.
Urge all to actually READ the entire draft opinion, leaked suspiciously by whom??? Seems very obvious to me which political camp might have “leaked” the SCOTUS draft opinion, an unprecedented action and one that strikes at the heart of the integrity of SCOTUS, with the apparent goal of trying delegitmazing the SCOTUS decision. I hope the leaker, likely a law clerk, is identified, fired, law license revoked, and if criminal action can be brought, put in jail.
The draft decision states that abortion, in all its particulars, is to return to the states to decide, not the Supreme Court. So in a way, it returns to the people to decide, indirectly through their elected officials. Each state would have jurisdiction over its own abortion laws.
Cottie Petrie-Norris is “horrified” what this means for millions of women. Well, many are instead horrified by the millions of babies aborted, many of them viable human beings capable of living outside the womb at the time of abortion. At what point does a woman’s “right” to terminate a pregnancy become superseded by the rights of the baby itself? Up to the moment before birth at 9 months? My body, my choice? Wonder why that didn’t apply to the COVID jabs with all the government mandates?
Pregnancy is avoidable in almost 100% of cases. Many believe abortion should not be used as a latent form of contraceptive, and certainly not as a repeated form of contraceptive for recidivist abortionists.
We will see how this plays out…..
This is a pivitol and critical STATES RIGHTS issue that has nothing to do with a reproductive rights. After all she can choose who to vote for in California if she wants to terminate her casual pregnancy. Therefore, all the issues seized by Federals in the name of ‘rights’ will be sent back to the states. For example if California states rights held up gay marriage would not have been permitted. We gave it a shot in 73, and like everything else libs abused the slippery slope of free tax spending. Since that time women can use condoms, diaphrams, birth control pills, morning afters and more we didn’t have then. Low income guys should get $2500 for a vasectomy. And, instead of Iphones and tatoos let the ladies put the procedure on their Visa instead of letting Planned Parenthood make US PAY. Those fools who show up for these side shows should be immorally ashamed.
I am unimpressed by local politicians who involve themselves in these issues, especially in CA where abortion will always be available to those who want it. Do your job! Public safety is your number one priority. Everything else they protest or try and effect is nonsense. Telling though how the press coverage doesn’t discuss protections for the unborn human lives abortions take from us and our society. I agree with a woman’s right to choose, but I also believe in birth control, abstinence and the rights of an unborn fetus. Bottom line, local politicians and leaders have one job to do – PUBLIC SAFETY!! Do your job and stop your virtue signaling nonsense.
What I find most baffling is how all of a sudden it is a woman’s right to choose. We were told absolutely not by these same liberals who forced us to get the Covid vaccines. My body my choice did not apply to their draconian forcing of the population for the vaccines. IMO they are beyond hypocrites. And now what’s happened to the Libs new philosophy of birthing person??? Oh you mean when it comes to abortion it really IS about women after all??? I wish they could take a step back and see how ridiculous all this caterwauling is. Roe v Wade has always been bad law no matter where you sit on abortion. This issue should have always been a states rights issue. And what are they belly aching about here in California? We stand to get all the money from the women coming into CA to get abortions.