Washington Leaders React To SCOTUS Roe V. Wade Reversal

OLYMPIA, WA — State and local leaders around Washington reacted to the Supreme Court's ruling Friday, which ended constitutional protections for abortion that were in place for decades, with the high court's conservative majority voting to overturn Roe v. Wade. Although the ruling on the Dobbs case was 6-3, the decision to strike down Roe and Casey was 5-4, with Chief Justice John Roberts writing a concurring opinion that said overturning the landmark statute went too far.

Washington was the nation's first state to legalize certain abortions through a referendum in 1970, and voters approved a ballot measure two decades later that further protected abortion rights until a fetus is viable.

Friday's Supreme Court decision will not directly affect the rights enshrined in Washington state law, but Democratic leaders at all levels of government decried the sweeping reversal of national protections, including those in more than a dozen states with "trigger laws" that will severely limit abortion access, including neighboring Idaho, where most abortions will be criminalized within a month.

Related - Roe V. Wade Overturned: Abortion Rights Left To States To Decide

"Today the United States Supreme Court adopted an extremist position and overturned 50 years of precedent upon which Americans have relied," said Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson. "This decision will harm individuals across our country by severely restricting access to safe, legal reproductive health care, and it will strain Washington’s health care network as individuals from Idaho and other states come here seeking the health care they require."

In King County, Executive Dow Constantine asked the council to provide $500,000 for the Northwest Abortion Access Fund (NAAF), which serves residents in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska. Constantine authorized another $500,000 in emergency funds to help Public Health – Seattle & King County prepare the health care system to "respond to the surge we know is coming."

In Seattle, Mayor Bruce Harrell proposed $250,000 for the NAAF, and Councilmember Kshama Sawant previewed legislation to make Seattle a "sanctuary city" for those seeking abortions and medical care providers facing legal repercussions.

"We must make Seattle a sanctuary for pregnant people and their doctors and other care providers facing persecution for seeking and performing abortions," Sawant said in a statement. "Laws violating basic bodily autonomy and criminalizing reproductive healthcare are fundamentally unjust, and our movement will not allow Seattle to be complicit. My office is introducing legislation to prevent Seattle Police from arresting people, either patients or doctors, for outstanding warrants related to anti-abortion laws around the country. Let anyone threatened by draconian anti-abortion laws come to Seattle without fear of prosecution."

Earlier Friday, Gov. Jay Inslee announced a joint commitment among Washington, Oregon and California to protect reproductive health care, including for patients and doctors affected by bans in other states.

"More than half the nation’s population now lacks safe access to a medical procedure that only a patient and their doctor can and should make for themselves," Inslee said Friday. "Instead, law enforcement, vigilantes and judicial systems can force patients to bear the burdens of forced pregnancy and birth. Washington state remains steadfast in our commitment to protecting the ability and right of every patient who comes to our state in need of abortion care, and we will fight like hell to restore that right to patients all across the country."

U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) shared the governor's sentiments and warned that the end of Roe v. Wade could set the stage for more widespread restrictions in the near future.

"Every American needs to understand that this is a real crisis that will affect millions of people across this country, including here in Washington state — Republicans are pushing for a federal abortion ban and Roe v. Wade is no longer settled law," Murray said. "But we aren’t going to stand idly by while they rip away abortion rights, or go after birth control next. We are going to stand up and fight back with our voices and our votes — to protect the right of every woman to make her own health care decisions."

Related - Protesters Gather After Supreme Court Strikes Down Roe V. Wade

Reactions Friday were far different on the other side of the aisle. Republican Reps. Dan Newhouse and Cathy McMorris Rodgers both released statements strongly in favor of the high court's decision.

"The Declaration of Independence states that every individual has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," Newhouse said. "Whether or not we maintain the sanctity of life as one of our highest priorities is an indication of our national commitment to our founding documents. Today's decision is a victory for our most vulnerable and a firm statement upholding the God-given rights for all Americans."

Rodgers called Friday "one of the most momentous days in American history for the dignity and sanctity of every human life" and called the Democrats' proposed Women's Health Protection Act — an attempt to codify federal abortion protections into law — part of an "extreme and discriminatory pro-abortion agenda."

A handful of protests got underway around Seattle Friday afternoon, and many others were planned for Saturday, including in Seattle, Redmond, Renton and Tacoma.