Maine Equal Justice executive director Robyn Merrill released the following statement on Friday regarding the Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade:
"In a blow to justice and equity for all Americans, the Supreme Court has reversed an individual right with 50 years of precedent and struck down Roe v. Wade. At Maine Equal Justice, we are deeply shaken by the knowledge that low income people, especially those who are Black, Indigenous, and Brown, will pay the biggest price for this decision.
In states with anti-abortion laws on the books, low-income people will have fewer safe options, which will increase the number of children growing up with low income. Nearly half of people who have an abortion live below the poverty level and another 26% are low-income. About 60% of people who have an abortion already have a child - about half of parents who have an abortion have more than one child.
Because of our country’s legacy of racism and discrimination, carrying pregnancies to term is especially dangerous for Black and Indigenous people in America. Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related issue than white women. Indigenous women are 2.3 times as likely to die from pregnancy-related issues than white women, and 4.5 times more likely to die in urban areas.
We want to reassure all Mainers, particularly those who have limited income, that access to abortion is protected in Maine law and that will not change with the Supreme Court decision. Insurers in Maine are required to cover abortion care, including MaineCare. If you are pregnant, most people are eligible for MaineCare up to 214% of the federal poverty level. MaineCare will close its last gap in eligibility for immigrants who are pregnant on July 1 and we’ll share more information about that soon.
With state legislatures and governors in control of the right to an abortion, elections matter more than ever, including here in Maine. Ask every candidate if they will vote to keep abortion legal. Ask them what they will do to protect and expand access to abortion. And vote your values in November."
Maine Equal Justice focuses its work on many of the issues that affect people’s daily lives – access to adequate health care, housing, transportation and childcare; food and income security; and higher education and training. Maine Equal Justice is a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization. Our EIN is 04-3346273. 