Cities from Texas to Maryland are fighting against abortion bans
With the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade in 2022, the U.S. joined these autocratic nations, making abortion access nearly impossible in certain states. The Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade 2022 and the U.S. became one of these autocratic countries, limiting abortion access in some states. Pregnancy Justice estimates that nearly 1,400 Americans were arrested for pregnancy between 2006 and 2020. These arrests were disproportionately affecting Black and Indigenous people, especially low-income Blacks, as well as low-income White people. Since the 2022 Dobbs V. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling, this trend has worsened. Rolling back reproductive freedoms is a violation of international human rights laws. As local elected leaders, we believe federal, state, and municipal lawmakers must uphold these rights, which is why we’ve introduced and passed human rights resolutions in Austin, Texas and Mount Rainier, Maryland.
Texas has become notorious for its archaic abortion laws. SB 8 will effectively ban abortion in 2021. Citizens can sue anyone that “aides and abets abortion access”. Cities like Austin, however, are fighting back. The GRACE Act prohibits Austin from using city funds to investigate cases of abortion and instructs police to give them low priority. Women like Kate Cox who were at risk of health problems during pregnancy sued Texas for its restrictive laws. However, their lawsuit was rejected by the Texas Supreme Court. The Center for Reproductive Rights has also filed federal complaints against hospitals for denying care to patients with life-threatening pregnancies, saying that it violates federal laws such as the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA).
Maryland stands in stark contrast. Maryland is a stark contrast. The state does not have an abortion ban and abortions are legal at any stage of pregnancy. Last year, the state passed the Reproductive Heath Protection Act. This law shields health-care providers against liability when they assist out-of-state clients and protects patient privacy. The law also requires all four-year public colleges to ensure access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care, including abortion services, STI testing, contraception, and emergency contraception.
Maryland also passed a shield law protecting abortion providers from investigations by other states and offering protection from harassment for anyone entering a clinic. Additionally, the state is set to vote on a constitutional amendment to enshrine the right to abortion.
Despite our different states’ diverse geography and socioeconomic landscapes, we are united in honoring our civic obligations by introducing human rights resolutions that recognize abortion as essential health care and a human right. When our legislation passed, it became the first of its kind in our country.
As Latinas and women in positions where we are able to promote and protect our constituents’ interests, we are united in our belief that abortion should be safe, legal, affordable, and accessible.
These resolutions are far from symbolic. These resolutions are not just symbolic statements. They protect and promote sexual health and reproductive rights, and reinforce that abortion is a human right. The laws allow women to make their own decisions regarding pregnancy without any unnecessary delays or barriers. It’s a declaration that all people, regardless of background, deserve full reproductive freedom, bodily autonomy, and the ability to decide if and when to start or grow a family.
The United Nations Human Rights Committee has repeatedly found that abortion bans are in violation of human rights and that the U.S. has fallen short of its obligations to a number of treaties, including the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
Since the Dobbs decision, our country has been reviewed by two United Nations committees, the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, and the Human Rights Committee. The Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Human Rights Committee have both called upon the U.S. Government at all levels, federal, state and local, to uphold its human rights obligations as outlined in these treaties. This includes protecting sexual and reproductive rights and health. As local leaders, we have a responsibility to protect human rights and fulfill our obligations under the treaties to which we are parties. We introduced our legislation to declare abortion a right. We have acted on the committees’ call for local governments to take action. Now we are calling on elected leaders across the country and at all levels to defend human rights and stand up to anti-rights extremists who want to eliminate all access to reproductive health care for Americans. Join us in restoring what Roe never could have given our communities: true freedom of reproductive choice.
