The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision today in Dobbs overturned 50 years of legal precedence and stripped away the constitutional rights of millions of people to access abortions. 

In Florida, the period of time a person can seek an abortion will be limited to the first 15 weeks of a pregnancy starting July 1. 

The Court’s opinion is the latest in a long string of dangerous decisions that have undermined people’s fundamental rights. 

Other U.S. Supreme Court decisions that have trampled precedent, popular sentiment, and common sense include — Citizens United v. FEC, McCutcheon v. FEC which allowed big money to flood campaigns; Shelby County v. Holder, which drastically curtailed voting rights; Rucho v. Common Cause, which enabled state gerrymandering, and Thursday’s decision in New York State Rifle v. Bruen which weakened state efforts to control gun violence. 

Statement of Amy Keith, Common Cause Florida Program Director 

The Dobbs decision is the latest in a long string of right-wing activist rulings from the Supreme Court. This Court has repeatedly undermined the rights of women, people of color and everyday people while prioritizing the desires of special interests, politicians, and corporate entities.

Make no mistake, this ruling is a minority viewpoint not supported by the American people. To advance and protect the rights we care about, we need to vote in every election and we also need to work together to stop mechanisms such as gerrymandering and the filibuster that undermine majority rule. 

Abortion is still legal in Florida today, but our elected officials have already imposed a ban on abortions after 15 weeks that will soon take effect.

Democracy doesn’t end at the ballot box, we need to organize and stay engaged to hold elected officials accountable for protecting our basic rights and for who they appoint to the courts.