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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — A leaked draft opinion of the Supreme Court of the United States, released by Politico, says acting Justices are ready to overturn Roe v. Wade, and lawmakers across the Commonwealth are reacting to the document on social media.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court confirmed the draft opinion to be authentic, but says it does not represent a decision by the Court or the final position of any member on the issues in the case. That draft states a majority of Justices believe that the outcome of Roe v. Wade "was egregiously wrong from the start," and that the Court opinion would be to "heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people's elected representatives."
Elected officials in Massachusetts reacted to the leak online, like Governor Charlie Baker who said that if SCOTUS overturns Roe, "it would be a massive setback for women in states without responsible laws protecting abortion access and reproductive health services."
The office of Senator Ed Markey sent his response on the draft opinion to WBZ NewsRadio.
"This decision would undermine the health, safety, and freedom of millions of Americans, and it will be made at the hands of justices who Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, and Senate Republicans foisted on the bench into stolen seats. This egregious and overtly political act by these justices cannot go unanswered," Markey said.
Senator Elizabeth Warren echoed Markey's words with a statement on social media.
U.S Representative for Massachusetts 7th Congressional District and Chair of Pro-Choice Caucus' Abortion Rights and Access Task Force Ayanna Pressley posted one sentence regarding the draft on Twitter.
Congresswoman Pressley also says in a statement to WBZ NewsRadio that if Roe is overturned, the "most vulnerable communities will bear the disproportionate brunt of any decision to restrict and deny access to abortion care particularly Black, brown, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+ and low-income people."
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Apart from lawmakers, the Massachusetts Citizens for Life (MCFL) organization released a public statement on Tuesday in response to the SCOTUS draft published by Politico.
"If the Court's opinion holds, MCFL will be very pleased that justices recognized that our Constitution does not imply or permit abortion on demand," said MCFL President Myrna Maloney Flynn.
On the leak itself, Chief Justice John Robert, Jr. says it was "a singular and egregious breach of trust that is an affront to the Court and the community of public servants who work here." Robert Jr. says he has directed the Marshal of the Court to a launch an investigation into the source of the leak.
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