Alaskans Against Any AK State Constitutional Amendment Criminalizing Abortion

The Supreme Court has flouted 50 years of legal precedent and ruled to overturn Roe V. Wade, the landmark decision protecting abortion access for pregnant people at the federal level.   With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, states now have the authority to restrict abortion. Alaska’s State Constitution currently strongly protects the right to privacy. Alaska’s State Supreme Court has upheld that a woman’s right to abortion and bodily autonomy is protected by Article 1, section 22 of the Alaska State Constitution, the right to privacy.   To support change in the State Constitution and the precedent set by our own courts, we put women and children at risk. Some women have conditions such as Endometriosis and PCOS, conditions that keep women from being able to carry to term or make the likelihood of ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage more likely. In circumstances where families already have children, how willing are we to risk the life of the mother of those children for the protection of one?    Alaska has the highest rates in the nation of domestic violence, sexual assault, and addiction. Alaska’s Office of Childrens’ Services is already overburdened and underfunded. Our state already struggles with long-term placement of children that end up in the system. To change or amend our State Constitution without first addressing these issues is outright negligent.   Finally, removing rights, especially those backed by the right to privacy is always a slippery slope. Alaskans value our privacy. That includes privacy in medical care, privacy at home, and privacy in the bedroom. To support this change is dangerous, negligent, and will have a serious impact on an already overburdened system. It also sets dangerous precedent in regard to any and all precedent set on the State Constitutional right to privacy.   I urge you to support your constituents with uteruses and uphold our current Constitution and the case law by our state Supreme Court that has continued to set legal precedent of protecting abortion under Alaska’s constitutional right to privacy.   Thank you for your consideration.