SANTA CLARA COUNTY, Calif. (KRON) — A coalition of South Bay officials is outlining steps California can take in an effort to protect women’s rights if the U.S. Supreme Court ends up overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade case.
On Monday, 71 Santa Clara County elected officials signed on to a letter co-authored by County Supervisor Cindy Chavez and San Jose City Councilmember Dev Davis, expressing their support for the governor’s effort to make California a sanctuary state for abortion rights.
“The leaked draft Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe v. Wade has made real the fears that many of us have felt for some time. The number and scope of elected officials who joined Councilmember Davis and I in signing this letter shows just how overwhelming the support is in Santa Clara County for the rights of women and for reproductive health,” Supervisor Cindy Chavez said.
KRON On is streaming live now
Last week, Politico leaked an early draft of the Supreme Court ruling that would put an end to the nearly 50 years of federal abortion protections.
The letter outlines several steps that officials believe the state should take as quickly as possible to expand reproductive rights and make California a sanctuary for women, including “enshrining the specific right of women to control their own bodies and have reproductive freedom in the state constitution.”
Some steps Santa Clara County officials believe California should take:
- California should enshrine the specific right of women to control their bodies and have reproductive freedom in the state constitution.
- Enact legislation prohibiting state and local authorities from cooperating with out-of-state civil and criminal proceedings against any woman who comes to California for legal abortion or other reproductive services.
- Develop mechanisms to make sure that any woman fleeing other states and coming to California for an abortion or reproductive health services can get the treatment they need without regard to their ability to pay, and the State, working with our business and philanthropic communities, should ensure the necessary funds are available to cover these services.
- Codify in law that rapists and perpetrators of incest have no rights or control over their victims’ bodies or medical decisions.
- Begin a national public outreach campaign to major employers that remind them of the many benefits of investing and locating in a state that respects the rights of 100% of the population.
- Announce your support for, and intention to sign, AB 2091and any other bills that are relevant to the points above.
“Protecting freedoms which were granted to us decades ago should be our priority and we appreciate our elected colleagues’ swift response to our call to action,” said Councilmember Davis.
