A leaked Supreme Court draft opinion suggests the court could be poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, leaving the legal status of abortion entirely up to states.
It is unclear if the draft, published Monday by Politico, reflects the court’s final decision. If the court’s final opinion, expected next month, is similar to the leaked opinion, reproductive rights would be rewritten almost immediately.
Here’s how Washington politicians responded to the leaked draft:
On Monday evening, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee retweeted a link to the Politico report, writing: “NOT HERE, NOT IN OUR LIFETIME.”
“Washington is and will remain pro-choice,” Inslee added. “And we will not slow down in the fight to ensure safe, affordable access to every person who needs it.”
Inslee in March signed a law barring legal action against people seeking an abortion and those who aid them. Washington’s Democratic-controlled Legislature passed the measure in an effort to push back against recent anti-abortion laws in conservative states such as Texas.
On Tuesday, Inslee announced a pro-choice rally and news conference at Kerry Park in Seattle.
Democratic Sen. Patty Murray said she was “furious.”
“If it’s true that the Supreme Court plans to overturn #RoeVWade, this is a five alarm fire,” Murray tweeted. “It’s exactly the kind of dangerous outcome I have been warning about.”
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell later Monday retweeted Inslee’s tweet, calling the news “outrageous, dangerous, and infuriating” and saying it would mean “harmful and disastrous consequences now and for generations to come.”
“Seattle must continue to be a place where abortion and reproductive healthcare are available to all,” he wrote.
In a statement, King County Executive Dow Constantine said he was “disgusted, yet unsurprised.”
“I believe in and am committed to the right of every woman to make the choice that is best for herself and her family, and I will never stop fighting to ensure that abortion and family planning care are available, without barriers and unnecessary restrictions, in King County and Washington State,” Constantine said in prepared remarks.
