Commissioner Mapps' Statement on Today's Supreme Court Decision

News Article
picture of late day sun on the corner of the united states supreme court building
Published

Today is a tragic day for Americans and our right to reproductive freedom and medical privacy.  With the Dobbs decision, the Supreme Court of the United States announced an overturning of 50 years of legal precedent, which provided that families had a legal right to privacy in their medical decisions.

I unequivocally support a woman’s right to choose and for families to make the best medical decisions for themselves without government interference.  The last thing Americans should want is politicians telling them what they can and cannot do with their bodies. This isn’t a states’ rights issue, it’s a human rights issue. 

The City of Portland is actively working with community partners and our partners at the State to affirm through legislative action our commitment to reproductive freedom and support gender-affirming care.  To those states seeking to criminalize healthcare that is constitutionally protected in our great state of Oregon: we will not stand idly by.  We welcome all people to come to our city to receive services, and we will protect that right however possible. 

I call on Congress to swiftly pass the Women’s Health Protection Act. This proactive legislation would enshrine the right to abortion in federal law.