Residents gathered at the courthouse Tuesday afternoon to protest a leaked draft decision from the U.S. Supreme Court that, if final, would overrule a 1973 ruling, in Roe v. Wade, that guaranteed abortion rights.
About a dozen residents gathered outside the Haines courthouse Tuesday to protest a leaked draft decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to overrule the landmark 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, which held that the Constitution guarantees women a right to abortion.
The protest was one of many at courthouses across the country in response to the first draft of a majority decision written by Justice Samuel Alito that called Roe “egregiously wrong from the start” and argued that the abortion issue should be decided by elected representatives, not judges.
“This is healthcare. It’s my basic right, my children’s basic right, 50% of the population’s basic right – to determine what they do with their bodies,” said Lynette Hart, who helped organize the Haines demonstration. “There are deeply, deeply personal reasons that people have abortions. It’s nobody else’s business.”
A final ruling from the court is not due out for a couple months, but the draft was leaked to Politico and published Monday evening.
Some politicians, including President Joe Biden, denounced the substance of the draft and called on Congress to pass a law codifying abortion rights. Senator Lisa Murkowski told reporters the decision, if upheld, “rocks my confidence in the court right now.”
Others praised the decision for reversing the controversial Roe v. Wade opinion and called on the federal government to investigate and prosecute whoever leaked the confidential document. In a statement to state news outlets, Senator Dan Sullivan’s office didn’t address the content of the draft but called the leak a “stunning betrayal that risks undermining the integrity and independence of the court” and said the “lawless action should be investigated and punished to the fullest extent possible.”
Chief Justice John Roberts confirmed the draft was authentic but emphasized that it’s not a final decision and does not represent how any of the justices ultimately will rule on the issue.
The case in front of the court is about a Mississippi law that bans most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. In a 1992 case, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the court upheld much of Roe but held that states could restrict abortions after a fetus is “viable,” usually at around 24 weeks.
Alito’s decision, were it final, would undo Casey along with Roe and allow states to decide how to regulate abortion. About half of the states are set to impose broad abortion bans if the court overrules Roe, according to national news reports.
In Alaska, the ruling wouldn’t change much for abortion access. The state’s constitution has a privacy clause that guarantees the right to abortion, as determined by the Alaska Supreme Court in 1997.
But some are calling for a constitutional convention to change the privacy clause to allow the legislature to pass a law banning abortion. A question about whether to hold a convention will be on the ballot this fall.
“For those of us that live here, hopefully this is not going to change anything. But there are millions of women and girls who are going to be left without access to basic healthcare. I find that so devastating,” said Sarah Chapell, who spoke during the protest. “When I was growing up it never occurred to me that this was a possibility. The only experience I have knowing about illegal abortions was watching Dirty Dancing.”
After gathering and speaking at the courthouse, the protestors walked around the block.