It’s not about this Supreme Court decision.
It’s about our future.

In sum, the notion that the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act furthers any legitimate governmental interest is, quite simply, irrational. The Court’s defense of the statute provides no saving explanation. In candor, the Act, and the Court’s defense of it, cannot be understood as anything other than an effort to chip away at a right declared again and again by this Court—and with increasing comprehension of its centrality to women’s lives.

— Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

A few days ago, the Supreme Court upheld a federal law banning certain late term abortions. The court’s 5-4 vote in Gonzales v. Carhart to uphold the federal Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 marks the first time that the court has restricted abortion procedures performed prior to fetal viability without exception for a woman’s health. Translation: The court has ruled in a way that rejects considerations of a woman’s health and allows the federal government to interfere in the most personal decision a woman can make.

This decision is not about a procedure. It is about Congress and the Court intruding on a woman’s autonomy to make her own medical decisions. It is also about an alarming attitude toward women and it is this attitude itself that scares me.

When I learned of the decision I was on the phone with my 16-year-old daughter discussing what she was going to wear to the prom this weekend. It was surreal. My daughter has been raised to believe that as long as she works hard she can achieve anything. At her young age she is carving out her future. In one act, the Supreme Court has marginalized the health of women. What kind of message does it send to my daughter? What kind of future does this create for her?

The decision is also blatantly political. Ignoring testimony from respected members in the medical community, several years ago Congress passed legislation banning partial birth abortions—the safest choice for abortion for some women. In justifying this legislation, Congress, relying on poor information and testimonies from doctors who do not even perform the procedure, declared incorrectly that there are no circumstances when a health exception is necessary. Six lower courts rejected the ban finding that Congress was wrong about the health implications for women. Even in writing the Supreme Court opinion on the case, Justice Anthony Kennedy acknowledged that Congress was incorrect in its statement that the procedure is never medically necessary. Despite the plethora of information proving that a woman’s health does matter in some cases of late-term abortions, the Supreme Court ruled differently.

The high court also ignored the fact that this ruling goes against 30 years of Supreme Court precedent requiring a women’s health exception. (So much for stare decisis as enunciated by both John Roberts and Samuel Alito again and again during their confirmation hearings – they promised to follow the precedent of the law?!) Incidentally, seven years ago, a similar case out of Nebraska was rejected by the pre-Roberts/Alito Supreme Court because it did not include an exception for a woman’s health.

One thing is certain: The role of state governments is going to be very important. The Supreme Court decision has shifted the debate and it will embolden forces to enact even more restrictions at the state level. Because legislation is usually tested first at the state level before national consideration, it is essential that we elect pro-choice women to our state legislature to prevent these bills from being enacted in the first place. The bill upheld in Gonzales v. Carhart was based on similar legislation originally passed by the Nebraska legislature.

Electing qualified pro-choice, Democratic women in California state government is important now more than ever. These candidates are our best line of defense not only against changing the laws, but also they can provide the diversity necessary to help reverse this alarming attitude. I cannot help but imagine that this ruling would have been different if there was at least one more woman on the Supreme Court. Women leaders make a difference!

While my daughter is thrilled about the prom on Saturday night, she is starting to understand. Hopefully, women who are a little older than she, who feel they are entitled to equality, will realize that their votes make a difference. It’s not just about our future; it’s about hers.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA INAUGURAL RECEPTION
On March 29, more than 100 people joined us as we officially launched CALIFORNIA LIST in Northern California at the home of Janet Reilly in San Francisco (Thank you Janet). Members, elected officials, and new friends of CALIFORNIA LIST toasted Northern California’s elected women and the successes of CALIFORNIA LIST. Discussions that evening focused on strategies for increasing involvement among younger women, as well as ways to prevent the further decline of elected women in California. On that note, speakers Bettina Duval, State Senator Carole Migden, San Francisco District Attorney Kamala D. Harris and Assemblywoman Fiona Ma all spoke inspiringly about the importance of cultivating and supporting women candidates, as well as the importance of having women’s perspectives in politics. Thank you to everyone who attended this remarkable event. We deeply appreciate your enthusiasm and support and look forward to seeing all of you at many more events in the years to come!

BECOME A CALIFORNIA LIST MEMBER TODAY

The mission of CALIFORNIA LIST is to elect Democratic women to California state government. We are in the process of identifying women who are interested in running for Assembly and Senate. Please visit our website www.californialist.org to read about the women who have identified themselves as candidates. Please note that we have not completed our endorsement process yet, but we are highlighting the women who have announced their candidacies. We wish them the best of luck and success as they launch their campaigns.

Please join our efforts to identify, recruit and fund Democratic women to run for office. Women are rising to the top and we need to continue to fill the pipeline with other future women leaders.