Virtual Town Hall Examines How SCOTUS Decisions Will Impact the Future of Reproductive Rights

Two crucial cases could threaten access to essential sexual and reproductive health care in America

(New Haven, CT) –– The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to issue decisions on two crucial cases that could impact access to abortion and birth control: June Medical Services v. Russo and Trump v. Pennsylvania. On Tuesday, June 30 at 12:00 p.m., Planned Parenthood Votes! Connecticut (PPV!CT) will host a virtual town hall, Supremely Concerned: The Supreme Court and the Future of Reproductive Freedom, to explore how these cases threaten access to sexual and reproductive health care and what it means for the future of reproductive rights in Connecticut and across America.

The virtual town hall will be moderated by Brittany Fonteno, chief external affairs officer from PPV!CT and feature Kelly McConney Moore, policy counsel from the ACLU of Connecticut, and Gretchen Raffa, senior director of public policy, advocacy, and organizing from PPV!CT.

“It’s unbelievable that now, in 2020, we must continue to fight for the basic right to control our bodies and access essential health care,” said Raffa. “The Trump-Pence administration will stop at nothing to vilify sexual and reproductive health care, emboldening politicians across the country to attack our freedoms and push health care out of reach for millions. In allowing review of these cases, the U.S. Supreme Court demonstrates the critical need to continue enacting policies and laws here in Connecticut to fight back against any attempt to restrict our reproductive rights at the federal level.”

"Regardless of what happens at the U.S. Supreme Court, Connecticut abortion and contraception remain essential healthcare, and access to both is critical for people in and nationwide,” said McConney Moore. “Connecticut policymakers have a responsibility to continue upholding reproductive freedom in our state, no matter what the Supreme Court decides."

By agreeing to hear these cases, the conservative-leaning U.S. Supreme Court continues to put reproductive freedom in danger. The fight for the right to decide if and when to become a parent has reached a boiling point with these pivotal cases about abortion and birth control awaiting final decision from the Supreme Court.

Each ruling has the potential to roll back the progress made in protecting fundamental reproductive rights and health care access:

• June Medical Services v. Russo will determine whether states can restrict abortion to the point it’s inaccessible — essentially rendering Roe v. Wade meaningless. Abortion access is hanging on by a thread in many places in this country, and this case could snap it.
• The June Medical case is strikingly similar to a Texas law already struck down by the Supreme Court in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt in 2016. Alarmingly, this review of June Medical might reverse the Court’s precedent on laws restricting access to abortion — demonstrating a willingness to dial back reproductive rights.
• Trump v. Pennsylvania would determine if employers and universities can deny their employees and students coverage for birth control because of their personal opinion, gutting provisions of the Affordable Care Act and making essential health care harder to access.

This is not what the American people want — the vast majority support access to safe, legal abortion and want to keep access to birth control. Connecticut has already protected access to abortion and codified the essential benefits of the Affordable Care Act in state statue, but these rulings could impact  health care access for millions of people across the country and set a dangerous precedent for the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse or revise decisions that safeguard our fundamental freedoms.

Visit ppvotes.org to learn more about Planned Parenthood Votes! Connecticut and the Supremely Concerned virtual town hall.