Del. Price's Statement on SCOTUS Overturning Roe v. Wade

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 24, 2022

CONTACT Tempestt Boone, 757.968.6054

NEWPORT NEWS, VA - Delegate Marcia "Cia" Price issued the following statement in reaction to the devastating Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization to overturn decades of precedent regarding a woman's right to make her own healthcare decisions.

"There's no excuse. A tarnished court this flippant with both the law and lives has lost all credibility, and today's disastrous ruling only serves to undermine further the very protections they are duty-bound to uphold. And if that wasn't enough, the court signaled its next targets: contraception, consensual sex between adults, and marriage equality. All are on the chopping block, and it is clear that after today's ruling, we cannot and should not trust this failed institution to safeguard our rights.

"But as some of its most conservative members made clear, the game was rigged from the get-go. The court established for itself a single, myopic barometer. And when official decisions can only be influenced by the thinking prevalent when old, white, land-owning men had a singular say in public affairs, we are destined to regress as a nation and fall even further, with civil rights eroded and Black and Brown communities once again bearing the brunt of a system designed to crush those most in need.

"The unfortunate reality is that all of this was accomplished under the false banner of "pro-life." But there is nothing "pro-life" about today's ruling. In fact, that term is rendered meaningless without programs, funding, and resources in place to support those lives. Many individuals self-applying that title are also the same folks who will vote against maternal health initiatives, public school funding, pre-K expansion, after-school programs, free lunch, childcare, and affordable housing without batting an eye. They are the same folks who were quick to yell “my body, my choice” about life-saving vaccinations during the pandemic but are so entrenched in their own power grabs, they do not acknowledge the depths of their hypocrisy.

"I know today is tough, and honestly, it may get worse before it gets better. But we can not give up on this fight. Thank you to the advocates, activists, volunteers, healthcare providers, lawyers and so many others who have been on the front lines of this fight. We see you, we appreciate you, and we stand with you. You can support their efforts by signing up to volunteer and donating to these organizations:

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Delegate Marcia S. “Cia” Price represents the 95th District of the Virginia House of Delegates, which includes parts of Newport News and Hampton. In the House, she serves on the Health, Welfare, and Institutions Committee and the General Laws Committee. She was the lead sponsor of the Voting Rights Act of Virginia and she has consistently sponsored the Reproductive Health Equity Act.