In the News

Reactions are pouring in from around western Massachusetts to the possibility of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe vs. Wade . We sat down with a local attorney who explains what this means for the country, and more specifically, what this means for women in our state.

“That changes a whole spectrum of how women can make choices on their own bodies. I hope it’s reconsidered,” said Laura Taylor of Springfield.

Drew Petrolati of Chicopee added, “It’s going to endanger lots of lives and ruin more.”

A leaked draft opinion suggested the Supreme Court would be overturning the landmark case was confirmed by Chief Justice John Roberts. However, he said the draft does not represent the final opinion, which is scheduled to be released in June.

The decision, if made, would no longer protect a women’s right to abortion on a national level and would be up to a state’s legislation.

Local legislators also spoke out with their opinions of the leaked document. Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker tweeted Tuesday morning:

“If SCOTUS overturns Roe, it would be a massive setback for women in states without responsible laws protecting abortion access and reproductive health services.

I am proud to support every woman’s right to choose and I am proud that MA has and will always protect every woman’s right to choose what is best for them.”

Congressman Richard Neal sent Western Mass News a statement that read:

“The Supreme Court appears poised to endanger millions of women, especially those who already face heightened barriers to health care. The federal government should have no role in these deeply personal, and often painful, health decisions. Here in Massachusetts, a woman’s right to choose remains sacred. We must continue to ensure that women across our country share that same access to vital health care resources.”

Now, abortion is still legal in Massachusetts and still will be if this decision is made. We wanted to know how that can be true, so we brought our questions to local attorney Kelly Koch.

“Overturning Roe v. Wade wouldn’t make abortion illegal per say, but it would be decided on a state-by-state basis. For instance, in Massachusetts, there wouldn’t be any change because there is access, abortion is legal,” Koch explained.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts already has a law in place that protect women’s rights to decide what they want to do with their bodies. However, other states may not have laws in place, so it will be up to legislators to put those laws in place or to put laws in place denying access to abortion.

“It would be really difficult if their state overturns it because they’d have to take matters into their own hands and perhaps travel across state lines to obtain services or find other ways to deal with a dilemma they may be facing,” Koch added.

We did confirm that if neighboring states decided to overturn Roe v. Wade, there is nothing in the Massachusetts law that says abortion can only be accessed by residents, so it would be legal for women to come in to the Bay State to receive that type of medical care.

Link to article HERE.