Supreme Court abortion opinion protests continue, Senate vote set

Protests over last week’s leak of a Supreme Court draft opinion on abortion carried into the weekend. The opinion, which addresses the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, appears to indicate that the court is ready to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Hundreds gathered in Chicago, Atlanta, Houston and other cities. One of the more notable protests over the opinion happened Saturday outside the house of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, where people repeatedly yelled, “We will not go back.”

“To think that, after all this time, people still want to control what women can do and our rights to make our personal healthcare decisions is just really outrageous,” Carole Levin, chair of Courts Matter Illinois, told WMAQ-TV during the Chicago rally.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) added, “Our shores remain open for any person left marooned by these extremist politicians.”

In New York, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said “the Supreme Court’s reported decision is an abomination.” On Sunday, he laid out the process by which the Senate will vote on codifying Roe v. Wade this week.

“I will file cloture, which moves the bill [Monday], and we will vote on Wednesday,” Sen. Schumer said. “Every American will see how every senator stands. They can’t duck it anymore. The Republicans have tried to duck it.”

Schumer’s comments came a day before New York became the latest state to expand abortion access ahead of the potential overturning of Roe v. Wade. New York Attorney General Letitia James announced a new state program that would provide increased funding for abortion providers in the state.

“It’s important that we protect the individual right to choose, that we stand up for abortion, that we stand up for health care in the state of New York, that we provide access to individuals outside the state of New York,” James said at a news conference Monday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.