On what would have been the 51st anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling, Florida’s Senate Democrats stand against the continued attacks on abortion access and reproductive rights. During a media avail Monday, Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book and several of the Senate’s fighters for reproductive access spoke about the impact of the anniversary in a post-Dobbs era. They also shared several statements on the anniversary, shared here.
Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book (D-Davie) said, “For nearly 50 years, Roe v. Wade served as a beacon of freedom, providing federal protection against dangerous government overreach into private medical decisions. But for the first time in history, today’s generation of women and girls are now less safe and less free than our mothers and grandmothers before us.
While our reproductive rights and freedoms are no longer federally assured, across the country, the tides have turned. As we’ve seen in states like Kansas, Kentucky, and now Florida, abortion is no longer a partisan issue; Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike are uniting to fight back and restore the rights we have lost. Together, we are a powerful army working to protect and restore abortion rights at the ballot box. And together, we will win.”
Senator Lori Berman (D-Boynton Beach) said, “In the years since Roe v. Wade was overturned, we’ve lost so much. We’ve been traumatized. We hear story after story of women facing near death experiences because doctor’s hands are tied by lawmakers, stories of women taking matters into their own hands and facing consequences. We can’t let this continue to happen.
I believe common sense will prevail on abortion. State by state, the people are making their voices heard. One day, reproductive choices will revert back to women and their doctors, not politicians.”
Senator Tracie Davis (D-Jacksonville) said, “Women have the right to control their own bodies and make their own healthcare decisions. Abortion bans are an undue burden on all women, especially poor women and women of color, and those women have made their voices heard with the ballot initiative. Regardless of party, regardless of race, regardless of financial status, women want their medical decisions to be between themselves and their doctor. These women will have their voices heard when this initiative passes, too.”
Senator Tina Polsky (D-Boca Raton) said, “Women all over Florida and the country have proven that we don’t want politicians to control our medical care. The more they continue to take away our rights, the more we will fight back and we will win.”
Senator Linda Stewart (D-Orlando) “Year after year women’s rights have been stripped away for the sake of a philosophical debate between a “pro-life” minority and the majority of American women, whose lives are jeopardized by these policies. We need to restore these stolen rights, and stop the suffering that has resulted from taking necessary healthcare away.”
Senator Geraldine Thompson (D-Orlando) shared, “Bodily autonomy is a right of all people. Women should not be robbed of their right to decide what happens with their bodies. I support adding an amendment to the Florida Constitution to guarantee access to reproductive care for women. As we observe the repeal of Roe v. Wade, we can agonize or organize. I have chosen to work with others to organize, collect petitions and get an amendment in the ballot to allow voters to decide whether there will be access for women to reproductive health care.”
