Season 2, Episode 11 of a View from the Left Side is a compilation of footage that I recorded on June 24, 2022, the day the Supreme Court of the United States struck down Roe v Wade, the landmark abortions rights decision from 1973. The Roe decision made abortion care up to the age of viability of the fetus legal in the US for nearly 50 years.
Now, SCOTUS has decided that access to legal and safe abortion care is a states rights issue. Why should a person's rights change when they cross state lines in the US? Whether or not to become pregnant is a parental choice issue --- NOT a government concern.
There is a lot of yammering in the Arizona Legislature about "parental choice" in schools, curricula, and teaching materials. The ultimate parental choices are: whether or not to become a parent; when to become a parent; and who will be your partner in parenting. This SCOTUS decision takes these basic human choices out of the hands of people and puts them into the hands of state governments. This is horrific.
A cascade of repressive laws -- some from the 1800s -- are still on the books but have been held in check by Roe for 50 years. Of course, Arizona has some of the most repressive anti-abortion laws on the books.
Planned Parenthood of Arizona and the Arizona Democratic Party held a joint press conference at the Arizona Capitol on June 24, 2022. (All press conference speeches are included in this podcast.)
At the event, PP President and CEO Brittany Fonteno said that they stopped all abortion services in Arizona that day, due to multiple conflicting state laws.
Fonteno was right about conflicting and confusing state laws that make Arizona "one of the most hostile states toward abortion services." According to a July 1 article in the Capitol Times, even some of Arizona's top Republican lawmakers disagree regarding which laws prevail, now that Roe is gone.
Attorney General Mark Brnovich, who is running for Senate against Senator Mark Kelly, says Arizona's 1901 law criminalizing abortion supersedes the 2021 law making it illegal to abort a fetus due to genetic abnormalities, the 2022 law creating 15 week abortion ban, and a 1970s era injunction against the 1901 law. Although SB1164, the 15 week abortion ban, is scheduled to go into effect 90 days, Brnovich says the 1901 abortion ban will stand. Governor Doug Ducey claims that the 15 week ban will supersede the other laws.
In early evening on June 24, abortion rights supports nationwide held reproductive rights marches. Marchers in Phoenix gathered on the lawn of the Capitol after 6 p.m. After the press conference footage, this podcast includes footage from pro-choice rally, the noisy protest, and the Department of Public Safety teargassing protesters later that evening.
Arizona Women not only lost the right to abortion on June 24, 2022, they lost the right to freedom or speech and the right to protest.
Time Stamps
Season 2, Episode 11 Introduction by Rep. PPH | 0:42
SCOTUS Decision on Roe v Wade Ends Abortion Care in Arizona, June 24, 2022 | 1:53
Arizona Reacts to End of Abortion Rights (Planned Parenthood and Arizona Democratic Party Press Conference), June 24, 2022 | 4:59
Senator Raquel Teran, Chair of the Arizona Democratic Party | 5:12
Senator Victoria Steele | 12:35
Rep. Jennifer Jermaine: How SCOTUS decision affects women with miscarriages | 14:25
Rev. Dr. Cathy Clardy Patterson: SCOTUS decision disproportionately affects women of color, poor women and rural women | 17:05
Brittany Fonteno, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Arizona | 22:01
Question and Answer period with reporters | 27:17
Rev. Dr. Patterson has parting thoughts on choice and body autonomy |