Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway’s Statement on the Overturning of Roe vs. Wade

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court took away the right to abortion for millions. In doing so, they are now allowing state governments to force people, including minors and victims of rape and incest, to give birth.

They have also fundamentally damaged and undermined the right to privacy upon which many other rights rest. Get ready—they will come for contraceptives; they will come for marriage equality. They are clearly ready to turn back the clock, and they do not care who is harmed in the process.

I’m angry. Angry that, despite most people in this country supporting abortion rights, a handful of people took those rights away from us. I’m frustrated—frustrated that our gerrymandered state legislature would uphold an antiquated 1849 statute rather than defend our state’s freedoms. And I’m fearful—fearful for all the people who will experience hardship and suffering from this decision, and fearful for the ripple effects this decision will have on our society.

This decision is an attack on the rights of Americans. The right to choose when or if we have children. The right to have autonomy over our own bodies. This decision is not in alignment with what most Americans believe—that pregnant people should have the right to make decisions about their own health. This decision does nothing to protect even the most vulnerable in society—children and minors, people who can’t afford to travel out of state, people who are sexually assaulted—as well as anyone who simply finds themselves pregnant when they do not want to be. It is sickening to think about the harm and trauma this will cause in our country.

The Supreme Court has failed us and our state has failed us. But we are determined as a City to do all we can to counteract these failures. Last week, our Common Council passed a resolution that supports the Madison Police Department in refusing to arrest people for any violation of the 1849 statute on abortion in Wisconsin. We will not be arresting abortion providers in Madison. Our City stands opposed to the overturning of Roe v. Wade and opposed to the 1849 statute banning abortions in Wisconsin.Our freedoms are so fragile. Women have been able to vote for a single century; segregation was ended less than a lifetime ago; LGBTQ+ people won the right to marry less than a decade ago. More than ever, I am grateful to live in a city that values and cares about other people. And I am grateful to be a part of its leadership, to uphold our values of fairness, justice and equity. I urge all of you to join me in advocating with your state and federal elected officials, voting to elect people who will protect our rights, and speaking up for justice. Together, we will show our state and our country what Madison stands for.

Contact: Reuben Sanon (608) 266-4611

Satya Rhodes-Conway市長對於羅訴韋德案（Roe vs. Wade）被推翻的聲明

今天，美國最高法院剝奪了數百萬人的墮胎權。這樣做後，他們現在允許州政府強迫人們生育，包括未成年人和強姦和亂倫的受害者。

他們還從根本上損害和破壞了隱私權，而許多其他權利都根基於隱私權。做好準備——他們將會針對避孕措施； 他們將會針對婚姻平等。他們顯然已經準備好想讓時間倒流，而他們不在乎誰在這個過程中受到傷害。

我很氣憤。憤怒的是，儘管這個國家的大多數人都支持墮胎權，但就憑僅僅幾人就剝奪了我們的權利。我很沮喪——沮喪的是，我們州的立法機關由於不公正地劃分、會維護一項1849年陳舊的法規，而不是捍衛我們州的自由。而且我很擔憂——我為所有因這個決定而將經歷困難和痛苦的人擔憂，也為這一決定將對我們的社會產生的連鎖反應感到恐懼。

這一決定是對美國人權利的攻擊。選擇何時或是否要孩子的權利。對我們自己身體擁有自主權的權利。這一決定與大多數美國人的看法不一致，孕婦應該有權對自己的健康做出決定。 這一決定毫不保護社會中最脆弱的群體，兒童和未成年人、負擔不起旅行到外州的人、遭受性侵犯的人，以及任何發現自己已懷孕但不想懷孕的人。想到這將在我國造成的傷害和創傷，令人不齒。

最高法院辜負了我們，我們的州也辜負了我們。但作為一個城市，我們決心盡我們所能應對這些失敗。本週，我們的共同委員會通過了一項決議，支持麥迪遜警察局拒絕因違反1849年威斯康星州墮胎法而逮捕任何人。我們在麥迪遜不會逮捕墮胎提供者。我市反對推翻羅伊訴韋德案，反對1849年威斯康星州禁止墮胎的法令。

我們的自由是如此脆弱。婦女能夠投票僅有一個世紀；種族隔離（segregation）剛結束還不到一代人的時間；LGBTQ+人群贏得結婚權才不到十年。我甚至比以往更加感激能够生活在一个重视和关心他人的城市。而我也非常感激能成為其領導層的一員，維護我們公道、正義和公平的價值觀。

我敦促您們大家與我一起與您們的州和聯邦民選官員一起倡導，投票選出將保護我們權利的人，並為正義發言。我們將一起向我們的州和我們的國家展示麥迪遜所代表的意義。

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