Friend –

The leaked draft opinion that suggests the Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade has us imagining a grim future in which 36 million people across the nation are stripped of their right to control their own bodies. California is widely seen as a haven for reproductive freedom. But the truth is, we have important work to do.

Right now in California, reactionary groups are organizing to criminalize – as in blame, investigate and imprison – people for the outcome of their pregnancies. In what we fear is a growing trend, Central Valley prosecutors recently charged two women with murder for their stillbirths, despite having no legal basis to do so. Help us pass AB 2223 to stop this from happening again.

AB 2223 will protect Californians from being prosecuted for losing or ending a pregnancy. As such, this bill is the anti-abortion movement's number one target in our state. Emboldened by the leaked draft opinion, anti-abortion activists are flooding lawmakers' phone lines and spreading dangerous misinformation. They hope to make inroads in California like they have in other states.

Don't let them. Miscarriages, stillbirths, and abortions are medical issues that should never involve the police. By passing AB 2223, we will protect Californians from being interrogated and criminalized for the outcome of their pregnancies.

Show our elected representatives that California will not give an inch when it comes to defending reproductive freedom. Tell your Assemblymember – Vote YES on AB 2223. While other states rollback abortion rights, California will keep moving forward.

Onward,

Carlos Marquez III
Executive Director, ACLU California Action