Governor Mills Says She Will Protect Reproductive Rights in Maine
Governor Janet Mills took to Twitter Monday night to respond to a rumor that the U.S. Supreme Court plans to strike down Roe vs. Wade.
What's the Rumor?
Politico, a political policy newsfeed out of Virginia, broke the news on Monday that it had allegedly received a draft opinion that suggests the United State Supreme Court could be poised to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide. The draft opinion was written by Justice Samuel Alito. If it were to be overturned, the decision of whether or not to ban abortion would be placed in the hands of state lawmakers. This could affect this year's elections in a huge way.
What's an Opinion Draft?
However, it's important to remember that this is a draft opinion and has not been finalized. According to Washington University, the draft opinion is kind of like the middle ground, set between the period of oral arguments and the finalized opinion that is then handed down by the court. The opinion draft is written by one of the Justices and then circulated among the other Justices, who can comment on any amendments that they feel should be made before it's finalized. Truthfully, the existence of the opinion draft is still questionable, as these types of documents are rarely made public.
What is Governor Mills Saying About the Possibility of Overturning Roe v. Wade?
In a statement released Tuesday morning, Governor Mills addressed the reaction of woman across the nation.
There are countless women across Maine and America who are worried right now - worried that their right to a safe and legal abortion is near its end; worried about what that uncertainty could mean for their health, their lives, and their futures; and worried about what this draft decision says about the values of our nation and their place in it.
So far, according to the Associated Press, the Supreme Court has no comment on the existence of the draft opinion or whether Roe v. Wade could be overturned.