RESOLUTION CONDEMNING ATTACK ON ROE V. WADE
WHEREAS, for almost a half century, the right of a woman to terminate a pregnancy has been guaranteed by well-settled black-letter law in the United States. The 1973 Roe v. Wade landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Texas statute banning abortion and legalized the procedure nationally until the fetus reaches viability, usually at 24 to 28 weeks. Furthermore, the high court held that a woman's right to do so was implicit in the right to privacy protected by the 14th Amendment to the U. S. Constitution; and
WHEREAS, 46 years later, the facts have followed the precept laid down in the wisdom of the 42nd United States President that this procedure be "safe, legal and rare". The number of abortions performed this year have dropped well
below the 1973 level, thus refuting fears that demand would skyrocket. According to Gallup, 60% of Americans
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support abortion rights in the first trimester as is consistent with the Roe v. Wade ruling. Notwithstanding, ten state legislatures have seen fit to promulgate and pass legislation which their governors have signed into law, measures that would further curtail or even deny a woman's right to terminate a pregnancy altogether; and
WHEREAS, since 2011, multiple state governments have been pursuing an aggressive agenda to broadly undermine
women's reproductive rights. State legislators have passed hundreds of restrictions on abortion. These efforts have
been extensive and diverse. However, this year's recent enactments of first-trimester abortion laws portend a more
direct assault on Roe v. Wade protections. Nine states seek to prevent termination at earlier stages of gestation than
now allowed by Roe v. Wade. Utah and, more recently, Arkansas voted to limit the procedure to the middle of the
second trimester. Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi and Ohio passed so-called "heartbeat bills" that
prohibit termination after six to eight weeks of pregnancy....
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