Roe V. Wade: MD Abortion Opinions Split On Party Lines After Supreme Court Ruling

MARYLAND — Maryland's reactions to the overturning of Roe v. Wade ranged from applause to outcry. Supporters praised the ruling as a savior to innocent lives. Critics said it was a judicial overreach that revoked women's bodily autonomy.

The Supreme Court of the United States struck down the precedent protecting abortion rights on Friday. Republicans cheered the news, and Democrats called out in protest.

Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh (D) was angered that survivors of abuse, rape and incest may not be eligible for an abortion in some states.

"Its harms will have disproportionate impact on women of color and those of low income, many of whom already lack meaningful access to affordable health care of any kind," Frosh said in a press release.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Cox went on Facebook Live to applaud the ruling. Cox said he and his wife were emotional hearing the news.

"We've been fighting to try to save the babies," Cox said, calling abortion a genocide. "The killing of our babies, the murder of the innocents, is blood on our hands."

Sen. Ben Cardin (D) thinks the Supreme Court's decision was a government overreach.

"The right to choose is fundamental and a decision that a woman should make in consultation with a doctor or other health care provider, free of political interference from federal, state, or local government," Cardin said on Twitter.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D) questioned the court's motives and urged politicians to take action.

"This is a results-driven ruling, not a rule of law decision & it undermines SCOTUS' legitimacy," Van Hollen said on Twitter. "The American people don’t want state elected officials telling them what to do in their most private & personal decisions. Congress must act now to protect reproductive freedom."

The Maryland Republican Party had not commented by this story's last update at 1:12 p.m. Gov. Larry Hogan (R) had not released a statement either.

The Archdiocese of Baltimore welcomed the news. The Catholic church still thinks there is work to be done in Maryland, where abortions are likely to continue.

"For Catholics in Maryland, it means we have to work all the harder to convince everyone about the sanctity of life and to love both the mother and the child," Archbishop William E. Lori said in a video interview with The Catholic Review. "In Maryland, abortion remains the law of the land, sadly. But I think our work is to win over minds and hearts right now and to surround mothers with difficult pregnancies with love, care, compassion and necessary services."

Related:

• Protesters Gather After Supreme Court Strikes Down Roe V. Wade
• Roe V. Wade Overturned: What It Means In Maryland

Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott said in a statement that, "The court got it absolutely wrong again today."

The decision is especially harmful for Black women and women of color who face disparate health challenges and barriers to care, Scott said.

"Men have absolutely no place deciding what women do with their bodies," Scott said. "I promise to make sure Baltimore City is doing its part to maintain safe access to abortion services for our resident and those who come here seeking care. ... This election cycle couldn’t be more important. If, like me, you support women’s rights, make sure your voice is heard on the ballot."

Yvette Lewis, the chair of the Maryland Democratic Party, agree the ruling was a partisan matter.

"It's undeniable that this partisan decision is a culmination of decades of work by the Republican Party to deny a woman the right to make decisions about her own body and reproductive health care," Lewis said in a press release. "This decision reverses progress, sets us back as a country, and sets a new precedent that a woman's body is under the jurisdiction of judges and courts rather than her own self-will."

Pro-Choice Maryland is organizing a protest in Silver Spring. The abortion-rights event is scheduled for 5 p.m. Friday at Veterans Plaza.

"It is our duty to be there for one another today," Pro-Choice Maryland said on Facebook. "We must support ourselves, our communities, and each other. We must never back down & we must never forget the violence and injustice that has occurred today."

Maryland Voters Share Thoughts

About 88 percent of Marylanders think abortion should be legal, a nonpartisan Goucher College Poll found in October 2021. Around 44 percent think abortion should be legal in all circumstances, 44 percent believe it should only be allowed in some instances, and 10 percent say it should be completely prohibited.

Roughly 57 percent of Democrats think abortion should be legal in all cases. On the other hand, 65 percent of Republicans believe it should only be allowed in some situations.

Pollsters surveyed 700 Maryland adults from Oct. 14, 2021 through Oct. 20, 2021. Interviews were conducted via random digit dialing over landlines and cell phones between 1 p.m. and 9 p.m. each day.

The Goucher poll had a margin of error of +/-3.7 percentage points. That means there is a 95 percent chance that the actual portion of residents who share those beliefs falls within 3.7 percentage points of the values listed in the survey. If you only count the 631 participants who identified as registered voters, the margin of error is +/-3.9 percentage points.

The full results are posted here.

Future Of Abortions In Maryland

Regardless of opinions, abortions will likely continue in Maryland. The state passed a law in 1991 to protect abortion rights if Roe v. Wade was ever overturned.

Maryland also passed the Abortion Care Access Act this April to increase the number of local providers. Only physicians can currently perform abortions in the state. The Johns Hopkins School of Nursing reported that the new law will let nurse practitioners, nurse midwives and physician assistants perform abortions starting July 1.

Patch editor Nikki Gaskins contributed reporting to this story.