Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) signed a bill on Thursday that blocks people or the government from bringing a lawsuit against those seeking an abortion or assisting someone looking for an abortion, a response to Texas’s controversial six-week abortion ban, which allows such suits.
“We know this bill is necessary because this is a perilous time for the ability of people to have the freedom of choice that they have enjoyed for decades,” Inslee said at a press conference on the “Affirm Washington Abortion Access” law, which officially takes effect in June.
“This is a matter of choice and we are proud in Washington” to stand up for abortion access, he added.
States have been preparing for what could happen if Roe v. Wade gets overturned by the 6-3 conservative majority Supreme Court this term.
States such as Washington and California are fortifying abortion access, fearing a ruling against reproductive rights, while others such as Mississippi are openly calling for the high court to rule against it.