As SCOTUS Takes Up Case Directly Challenging Roe v. Wade, Granite Staters Make Clear They Do Not Support Abortion Bans

CONCORD -- Today, the United States Supreme Court agreed to consider Mississippi's unconstitutional 15-week ban on abortion care, a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade. The court’s decision underscores the true agenda of anti-reproductive health care extremists across the country and right here in New Hampshire: to ban abortion entirely.

But Granite Staters are fighting back. New Hampshire reproductive rights advocates have defeated an unprecedented array of anti-abortion bills in recent years, including a 2020 bill that would have banned abortion entirely. Most recently, dozens testified against HB 625 and HB 233, two extreme anti-reproductive health care bills currently before the Senate Judiciary Committee that harm families in complex circumstances and criminalize doctors.

The court will next set a schedule for the case to be briefed and argued to the court, most likely with oral arguments in the fall, with a decision issued sometime in 2022.

Statement from Kayla Montgomery, VP of Public Affairs for Planned Parenthood NH Action Fund and Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, NH:

“Today, the United States Supreme Court signaled what reproductive rights advocates have been warning about for years -- that it is prepared to challenge Roe v. Wade directly. This comes as lawmakers have introduced an unprecedented array of anti-abortion legislation in New Hampshire, and across the country, following President Trump’s appointments of Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett to the US Supreme Court.  

“Granite Staters have made it clear that they will not see their reproductive rights rolled back, which is why year after year, with bipartisan support, we have defeated attempts to chip away at access to safe, legal abortion in New Hampshire.

Planned Parenthood in New Hampshire is committed to offering safe, expert, compassionate care to every person who makes the personal decision to have an abortion – no matter what.”

Granite Staters overwhelmingly support access to safe, legal abortion:

Despite these attacks, support for abortion rights in New Hampshire is among the strongest in the country. 64 percent of Granite Staters believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases.

As a result, New Hampshire has one of the most positive reproductive landscapes in the country. If Roe v Wade were overturned tomorrow, abortion would remain safe and legal in New Hampshire.

Nationwide, support for abortion rights is an all-time high. 77% of Americans support the right to safe, legal abortion protected under Roe. Despite polarizing rhetoric, voters are generally in agreement about abortion care. When asked what the experience should be like for someone who has decided to have an abortion, more than 3 in 4 voters say it should be as soon as possible, not judgmental, and without added burdens, and 96 percent say informed by medically accurate information.

Background on anti-abortion attacks nationwide:

• This year alone, state legislatures have introduced more than 500 abortion restrictions in nearly every state in the country.

• There are 16 other abortion-related cases just one step away from the Supreme Court and 25 million women of reproductive age at risk of losing abortion access if Roe is overturned.

• The Mississippi law is currently blocked, with both a federal district court and the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals recognizing it is unconstitutional. If the Supreme Court allows the Mississippi 15-week ban to take effect, many other states are at risk, including Louisiana, where a similar ban is on hold.

###

Planned Parenthood of Northern New England (PPNNE) is the largest provider of reproductive and sexual health care for women, men and young people across the State of New Hampshire. We serve New Hampshire residents through 6 health centers in Claremont, Derry, Exeter, Keene, Manchester and White River Junction, VT. In 2020, we saw nearly 11,000 patients at these sites.

Planned Parenthood New Hampshire Action Fund (PPNHAF) is an independent, nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization formed as the advocacy and political arm of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England in New Hampshire. The Action Fund engages in educational and electoral activity, including voter education, grassroots organizing, and legislative advocacy.