AUSTIN, Texas — Today, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered its ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, upholding Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban and overturning Roe v. Wade, leaving reproductive rights to be determined by the states.
MOVE Texas Action Fund Executive Director Claudia Yoli Ferla released the following statement:
“We knew this day was coming, yet it is still a gut-punch. This insidious decision was politically driven, obliterates the constitutional rights of millions of people, and completely disregards decades of precedence and attacks people’s bodily autonomy. The right to have an abortion is left now to the whims of white supremacists and extremist politicians who have been attacking abortion for years. In a few short days, Texas will be one of over a dozen states that will effectively ban abortion for millions.
“We are now in a moment where the Supreme Court has given enormous power to politicians like Greg Abbott and his extremist allies in the legislature. Let’s be clear, Greg Abbott does not care about putting this decision into the hands of Texas voters, a majority of whom support the right to an abortion. He only cares about keeping our communities under his thumb. And even worse, extremists in Texas have made it even more difficult for our communities to have their voices heard with anti-voter laws, racist gerrymandering, and intimidation. The decision should be in the hands of our communities, period.
“This is why we must continue to organize and mobilize young people across the state and at all levels of government to have their voices heard and disrupt democratic institutions. For years, young people have been demanding more than legality, more than Roe. Young people deserve abortion care when they need it, on the timeline they choose, and in the community they trust — without shame or stigma. Despite this decision, young people will continue to show up and demand not just safe abortion care, but the fundamental right to create the families they want, when they want, if they want them.
“We must also work to rebuild our democracy from the ground up to ensure that our elected officials represent our needs and protect our rights. Abortion care is vital for all of us, and states should not be able to dangle our health and well-being in front of us. Together, we can support each other, and together, we can build the future we deserve.”
MOVE Texas is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, grassroots organization building power in underrepresented youth communities through civic education, leadership development, and issue advocacy.
