Newark Councilwoman, Mayor Decry Supreme Court Abortion Ruling

NEWARK, NJ — The U.S. Supreme Court voted to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision on Friday, setting off a firestorm of controversy across the nation, including Newark.

Abortion rights activists have been anxiously awaiting the court's opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the Mississippi case that essentially dismantles both Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling legalizing abortion, and Casey v. Planned Parenthood, a fetal viability case that affirmed Roe. Read More: Roe V. Wade Overturned: How Abortion Bans Will Impact New Jersey

Now that the court has overturned the decisions, it will be up to states to decide the future of abortion within their own borders. Read More: Court's Abortion Ruling Stirs Fierce Controversy In Essex County

Newark Central Ward Councilwoman LaMonica McIver and Mayor Ras Baraka each condemned the court’s decision.

McIver wrote:

“I am truly angry and disappointed at the Supreme Court decision to strip away the constitutional right to reproductive freedom to all women in this country. To not allow women to make decisions about their own bodies is simply outrageous and disheartening. This is a public health emergency and should be treated as one. This decision will cause harm to countless women – specifically Black and Brown women. This is not about life … this is about control.”

“We are grateful to Gov. Phil Murphy for signing the Freedom of Reproductive Choice Act this past January, which still allows women to have the legal right to obtain an abortion in New Jersey,” McIver said.

“However, this decision is still beyond difficult for all women in every state in this country, and our fight does not stop here,” the councilwoman continued. “We must fight and stand up for our reproductive rights. This is a call to action for all women to refocus your anger and disappointment to getting involved in this fight for our reproductive freedom … Let's fight together.”

Mayor Ras Baraka also issued a statement on the ruling. He wrote:

“The repulsive Supreme Court decision today to overturn Roe v. Wade, the ruling establishing the right to an abortion, has set us back decades. This ruling attacks women’s most basic right: to have control over their own bodies, regardless of politics or what state they live in. Their liberty and power to decide for themselves has been stripped away. It will also lead to the criminalization of those who are marginalized – particularly women of color. Thankfully, our governor, Phil Murphy, signed the Freedom of Reproductive Choice Act in January, preserving the legal right to obtain an abortion in New Jersey. I call on Newark residents to get involved with organizations that are fighting for choice, support progressive candidates who align with choice, and know that your vote in the upcoming mid-term election matters. Democracy succeeds only when people take action and make their voices heard.”

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