Delaware Democratic Party Chairwoman Betsy Maron: “This decision has long been a nightmare that we, as Democrats, prayed would not become a reality. To see this day arrive in our lifetime is truly heartbreaking. While this news is bleak it simply cannot allow it to be the end of the fight.”
“This decision reinforces the importance of state legislatures and the work that we absolutely must do here in Delaware. We can no longer rely upon the Supreme Court, as it is currently structured, to uphold the rights of all Americans. That is why we are incredibly thankful that Democrats in our General Assembly have already safeguarded the right to abortion in our state law. Now it is up to us as Delawareans and as Democrats to further safeguard our rights by codifying them and electing local officials that share our values. The stakes have never been higher.
“Republicans have shown us where their priorities lie and it’s not with women. Make no mistake, their wishlist does not end with overturning Roe and scrapping the federal right to an abortion. If Republicans have their way they will restrict which Americans are able to vote, marry, and live comfortably in their own bodies.
“Rest assured that Delaware Democrats have always and will continue to defend the right to choose, even if the Supreme Court will not. Furthermore, anyone having their rights threatened by conservative extremists will always have an ally in our State Democratic Party, we are here for you.”
DELAWARE SENATORS AND GOVERNOR CARNEY, PASS AND SIGN HOUSE BILL 455.
The fact that the Senate laid it on the table on Thursday is a travesty that must be corrected as the first order of business on Tuesday.
Senate President Pro Tempore Dave Sokola, Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend, and Senate Majority Whip Elizabeth “Tizzy” Lockman: “Today’s decision is a harrowing one, as the Supreme Court of the United States has just stripped millions of Americans of a fundamental right. While access to abortion has been codified into the Delaware constitution since 2017, dozens of states have spent that time passing restrictive abortion bans, closing clinics, and criminalizing abortion providers.
Make no mistake: banning abortion will not stop people from seeking abortions — it will merely stop them from seeking safe abortions by a licensed medical provider.
Our caucus remains committed to safeguarding and expanding access to comprehensive reproductive health care services to anyone who seeks them in our state, whether they live here or not. We will always prioritize the health and safety of patients seeking care, those that provide critical abortion services, and our community partners who continue to fight for reproductive justice.”
Then pass HB 455 first thing on Tuesday, otherwise these words are lies.
House Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf, Majority Leader Valerie Longhurst, Majority Whip Larry Mitchell, Rep. Debra Heffernan and Rep. Melissa Minor-Brown: “Today’s Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade is something many have both feared and expected for months, but it makes this moment no less devastating and horrific. SCOTUS’ Dobbs decision undoes 50 years of legal precedent that has protected a woman’s right to an abortion.
“This decision will not make our nation safer or healthier; it will force this country backward to a time our parents and grandparents have warned us about, forcing reproductive care into the shadows, disenfranchising low-income residents, minorities and those without means. It allows local governments to insert themselves between a woman and her doctor, preventing them from making private healthcare decisions.
“We in Delaware saw the writing on the wall a few years ago and began taking decisive action to codify the protections of Roe in our state code, protecting the right to an abortion in the event that the Supreme Court overturns the decision. In recent months, we have further expanded access to reproductive care through House Bill 320 and House Bill 455 to ensure that those in Delaware who need reproductive care can receive it.
“While we mourn the dismantling of Roe, we will continue to explore ways to further enshrine these protections and increase access to reproductive healthcare.”
BBC Guest Bartending event on Monday to raise money for abortion funds – my heart breaks for everyone who woke up to find they did not have an appointment tomorrow
If you are on reddit — there is a subreddit called the auntienetwork rel=”nofollow ugc”. You can volunteer any support to those in red places seeking abortion services — anything from a sympathetic ear up to a safe place to stay/recover for those needing that kind of support.
The 6 Catholics on the Supreme Court are of the Opus Dei variety, extreme and weird. They clearly have a flawed understanding of their Church’s teaching over the decades which has changed significantly. The overarching teaching, not declared infallible is that primacy of conscience should guide ones position on abortion.
Their rigid position on abortion was not established until 1917; in the early Catholic years abortion was treated much like adultery, not a mortal sin.
Here is some history:
The medieval Church rules of penance did not consider abortion murder until after the first 40 days of conception; this was true up until the mid 1800’s. It was a sin but the context was associated with adultery and the punishment similar to that for adultery.
St. Augustine , Bishop of Hippo (ca. 415 AD), one of the most influential of all Catholic theologians, persuaded early Church leaders that abortion should not be regarded ‘as homicide, for there cannot be a living soul in a body that lacks sensation due to its not yet being formed.’ He, and Thomas Aquinas after him, taught that the embryo does not acquire a human soul until the end of the first trimester. At the beginning of the 13th century Pope Innocent II proposed that ‘quickening’ (the time when the woman first feels the fetus move within her) should be the moment at which abortion becomes homicide. Abortions occurring prior to that moment constituted a less serious sin. Pope Gregory XIV’s declaration in 1591 that early abortion was not grounds for excommunication guided Church policy until 1869. In that year, Pope Pius IX eliminated the distinction between the animated and non-animated fetus and insisted on excommunication for anyone having or providing an abortion at any stage of pregnancy. That instruction was written into the Canon Law in 1917.
These people cannot be trusted to be guided by authentic teaching of either their Church or their Constitution. We are just fucked until we replace these twisted people steeped in the misogyny and authoritarianism of my former Church.
And pretty much leaves us and Hungary as places devoted to a very minority view of Catholic teaching. No matter how you cut it, it is a deeply corrupt way of viewing the law. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison are rolling over in their graves.
Like many, I am incandescently angry AND in pretty serious mourning today. I know that many are looking for ways to help — and the Fundraiser mentioned above is one way to do it. You can even send funds via a Tip Jar to the bartenders — here are my favorites:
Kat Caudle
Dave Woodside
Even better, go over the the BBC tonight to give them those tips directly and have a beer!
You can also help DelDems to hold on to and build on our supermajorities this mid-term. We’re lucky to live in a Blue state that respects the rights of its women and we need to hold on to that. Donate to them here if you like. Your contribution goes to GOTV efforts for 2022 statewide.