Mississippi’s Only Abortion Clinic May Move To New Mexico If Roe v. Wade Is Overturned
Earlier this week, a leaked draft showed the Supreme Court’s majority decision to overturn the right to abortion in the U.S. Shannon Brewer, who serves as the director of Mississippi’s only abortion clinic, told NBC News that she is preparing to move to New Mexico in case this actually happens.
“Our plans are to open a facility in New Mexico,” she said . “We’ve been calling it the Pink House West just to let people know we’re still here for them, and we’re still going to fight for women regardless.” In an op-ed for The New York Times published in 2021, Brewer explained how its more difficult now for someone to get an abortion than it was in 2001.
The pending SCOTUS decision would make it almost impossible. “The ability to control your own body and future should not depend on where you live, who you are and how much money you make,” she wrote. “But state lawmakers have made that our reality. And if the Supreme Court overturns Roe, this inequality will be hugely magnified.”
Chief Justice John Roberts confirmed the draft opinion was authentic, however, revealed in a statement that it “does not represent a decision by the Court or the final position of any member on the issues in the case.” Brewer, has been voiced about the attack on abortion access for several years, knows that banning the procedure will disproportionately affect people of color.
“It’s going to affect women who need it the most,” she told NBC News. “It’s not going to affect women who have the means financially to be able to get an abortion anywhere. They will still have access some type of way. That’s what devastates me. The ones who need it the most are the ones who will be affected.”
According to NBC News:
Brewer said she had not yet addressed clinic staffers about the draft opinion and what it could mean for the clinic, but she said that workers have kept abreast of developments with the case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The clinic’s staff have been busy in the wake of a punitive Texas law banning abortion as early as six weeks of pregnancy. The facility has seen an influx of patients living in surrounding states who have been forced to travel farther for care.
“We’ve watched so much change just because of Texas,” Brewer said. “You multiply that times 20, that’s going to be detrimental. You’re going to see an uptick in hospitalizations. You’re going to see an uptick in women doing things that are unsafe.”
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