Three candidates for 5th District Sacramento County Board of Supervisors state their position on Roe v Wade
The recent leak of the tentative U. S. Supreme Court ruling on Dobbs v Jacksons Women Health case has set off a political tsunami on the topic of reproductive rights. If the decision is issued as expected, it would change access to abortion and other reproductive medical services and could possibly lead to legal challenges to other established rights.
We asked the four main 5th District Sacramento County Board of Supervisor candidates candidates the following question:
For what reason[s] do you support upholding Roe v. Wade, or for what reason[s] do you support actions that would overturn the 1973 Supreme Court ruling?
Elk Grove City Councilmember Pat Hume did not respond to our email seeking his postion on Roe v Wade.
Below are responses from Alex Joe, Steve Ly and Jaclyn Moreno.
Alex Joe
Women will make the decision about Roe v. Wade as it applies to them. That is not the only choice they must make for themselves with respect to their bodies and pregnancy. I trust their judgement.
The draft decision is not a cause for me to comment. I will wait for the court to make a formal announcement on their official decision in the case that is pending during this court session.
Steve Ly
The direction the Supreme Court is considering is essentially going backwards. If the Supreme Court goes in the direction that we are hearing they will, this will put women in harms way and will most likely hurt poor and low income women. As the President of Asian American Civil Liberties and Anti-Defamation (AACLAD), a non-profit civil rights organization, Roe v. Wade is a civil right that must be upheld.
Jaclyn Moreno
Over the last few weeks, I’m encouraged by what I’ve seen in California. People are motivated and ready to fight back. We can’t just sit idly. We have to stand up and make sure our voices our heard. We can do that by writing to and calling our CA lawmakers asking for a change to the CA constitution which would protect a woman’s right to choose.
And most importantly, this isn’t just a federal issue. Local lawmakers will play a roll in fighting for resources for our own communities to continue to access care. We have seen this in Counties such as Santa Clara. We have an election right around the corner. We must vote and make sure we are voting for pro-choice candidates up and down the ballot.
The news is devastating. For the first time in history, our daughters will have less civil rights than we do and until we have full autonomy over our own bodies, which includes not being forced into pregnancy, we will not be truly free.
I know what this right means to people because I am one of the 30 percent of women that has had an abortion. I’ve been open about my story – It saved my life and allowed me to have ownership over my own future. In fact, chances are someone you know and love has had an abortion.
Overturning Roe won’t decrease abortions. As we saw before Roe v Wade, women still had abortions. Now, for those that can afford to travel for access, women will still receive care. But for those that live in states with bans that can’t afford to travel, they’ll continue to have abortions. They’ll just be unsafe. And their lives will be at risk.
The good news is that California is and will continue to be a safe haven and the people on the front lines have been preparing for this. Women are already coming from other states to access care and, since almost half the states already have a complete ban ready if Roe v Wade is overturned, there is no doubt more will come.
