Georgians respond to leaked Supreme Court Roe v. Wade draft opinion – CBS Atlanta

ATLANTA, Ga. (CW69 News at 10) — The leaked Supreme Court draft opinion regarding plans to overturn Roe v. Wade is drawing strong reactions from both sides of the aisle in Georgia. A local pro-abortion advocate and an anti-abortion lawmaker shared how the decision could impact Georgians if the court moves forward with those plans.

The Supreme Court’s proposed plans to overturn Roe v. Wade has abortion advocates on edge. Politico was the first news outlet to publish the opinion, which was drafted in February and revealed plans to end abortion rights. It’s the first time in history that a Supreme Court document was leaked.

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Georgia WIN List is an organization seeking to elect Democratic women to advocate for reproductive freedom. “We were shocked, because this is more sweeping and devastating to women than everyone anticipated,” said Georgia WIN List Executive Director and Founding Chair Melita Easters. “Women’s reproductive freedom is on the line, and every vote will matter,” she said.

Easters says it’s not just about ending a pregnancy. “It’s about the kinds of hoops doctors might have to jump through when a woman is having a complicated pregnancy, when she suffers a miscarriage,” said Easters.

“The Roe v. Wade decision was a brutal decision,” said State Representative Ed Setzler (R-District 35). “It was wrongly decided in 1973, and I’m thankful that we’ve got some judges that we think are really on the cusp of righting that wrong and protecting these most fragile members of our human community,” he said.

Setzler wrote Georgia’s House Bill 481. “The Living Infants Fairness and Equality Act that was passed in 2019 is in the hands of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals,” he said. The legislation is also known as a heartbeat law, and it bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. A judge put the law on hold, pending a court challenge in Mississippi, but the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade could help put the law back into effect.

“I’m hopeful the court will finally right the wrong, the brutality of Roe V. Wade that has been in place,” said Setzler.

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“I’m gonna be wearing a pro-choice t-shirt and buttons when I go to early vote, and I encourage all the women who care about choice to do the same thing,” said Easters.

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John G. Roberts, Jr. issued the following statement:

Yesterday, a news organization published a copy of a draft opinion in a pending case. Justices circulate draft opinions internally as a routine and essential part of the Court’s confidential deliberative work. Although the document described in yesterday’s reports is authentic, it does not represent a decision by the Court or the final position of any member on the issues in the case.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., provided the following statement:

To the extent this betrayal of the confidences of the Court was intended to undermine the integrity of our operations, it will not succeed. The work of the Court will not be affected in any way.

We at the Court are blessed to have a workforce – permanent employees and law clerks alike – intensely loyal to the institution and dedicated to the rule of law. Court employees have an exemplary and important tradition of respecting the confidentiality of the judicial process and upholding the trust of the Court. This was a singular and egregious breach of that trust that is an affront to the Court and the community of public servants who work here.

I have directed the Marshal of the Court to launch an investigation into the source of the leak.

Governor Brian Kemp issued the following statement on Twitter:

Under my leadership, Georgia will remain a state that values life at all stages, and as we anticipate the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision, Georgians should rest assured that I will continue to fight for the strongest pro-life law in the country. I fully support the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to open an investigation into this unprecedented breach of protocol.

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The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals is expected to issue an opinion on the Mississippi case within the next two months.