After almost 50 years, the landmark ruling of Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court on Friday.
Roe v. Wade was a ruling established in 1973 that gave women the constitutional right to abortion in the United States. So what does the overturn of this ruling mean?
Going forward it is up to each state to determine abortion rights unless Congress acts. Locally, people from both sides of the debate are speaking out.
“I am upset, yes. I am saddened. I am not of reproductive age, but I have had an abortion and, thankfully, it saved my life," said Los Osos resident Jillian Dubois.
“I am pro-life so I thought, just in the way our society is going, I never thought I would see things get better," said Ashlee Bouziane who supports the Court's decision.
In a statement, the organization Right to Life of the Central Coast said, “The decision overturning Roe is an answer to prayer and work by countless pro-life activists for nearly five decades, a cause for joy and heartfelt thanksgiving to God.”
While the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade does not make abortions illegal everywhere, Planned Parenthood says it opens the door for states to move in that direction, making the State of California a safe hub for many individuals.
“We are not going to accept the Supreme Court’s decision to put politicians in charge of people’s lives. We have been preparing for this moment and what does that mean? It means we have strategically been expanding health care centers in access states," said Jenna Tosh, Planned Parenthood California Central Coast President and CEO.
Planned Parenthood said they are preparing to see an increase in people traveling to California as they are already seeing some states cancel patient appointments.
“The stories we are hearing on the ground are heartbreaking. Patients having appointments canceled, people having to make very hard decisions about their pregnancies now knowing they can’t access the care they need close to home," Tosh said.
According to the Guttmacher Institute, following this decision, 26 states are “certain or likely” to ban abortions.
Out of those 26, 13 states have "trigger laws" in place, meaning it is just a matter of time before abortions become illegal in these states and making this a topic that will continue to divide the United States.
“We know not a lot is going to change here but there are states that will change, and it will make a difference. I am looking forward to many babies being saved," Bouziane said.
“Abortions will not stop. Unfortunately, they will be illegal abortions and those kill women and girls," Dubois said.
