RI Senate Leaders Are Being Targeted for Their Vote Against Codifying Roe v. Wade
Saturday, May 07, 2022
On Monday night at about 8:30 PM, Politico published a bombshell article that unveiled that it appears that the majority of the U.S. Supreme Court is poised to vote to repeal Roe v. Wade.
The report immediately changed politics across the country and has mobilized many voters for whom reproductive rights are a priority.
That may not be good news for two of the most powerful men in the Rhode Island State House.
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Rhode Island in Focus
In 2019, a sweeping coalition of Rhode Island rganizations successfully fought to codify Roe v. Wade.
One of the biggest obstacles in that fight was that legislative leaders, including then-Speaker of the House Nick Mattiello, and present Senate leaders President Dominick Ruggerio and Senate Majority Leader Michael McCaffrey, all opposed the legislation.
The coalition of groups supporting the effort included the Rhode Island Chapter of the American Congress of Obstetricians, the state chapter of School Workers, and the ACLU — more than 30 groups in total were energized. After a bruising legislative fight, the legislation was adopted, and Ruggerio and McCaffrey voted against the landmark bill.
Both faced tough primaries in 2020 and are expected to face the same opponents again in 2022.
Their 2019 votes against the codification of Roe v. Wade were already a hot-button issue -- before this week's political upheaval.
Call to Refuse Endorsement
Now in 2022, the anti-choice records of Ruggerio and McCaffrey are not only becoming a critical issue in their own reelection efforts, but are also being elevated to the Governor’s race.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Matt Brown is calling on fellow candidates to refuse to endorse or accept endorsements from those Democrats who fought against the codification of Roe v. Wade in Rhode Island in 2019.
“I will say right now, I will not endorse and I will not accept any endorsement from any elected official who is opposed to codifying Roe v. Wade and who opposed it in that vote a couple of years ago,” said Brown. “And I would expect and hope that my fellow candidates on the stage with me will make the same commitment.”
There are 19 Democrats who voted against the legislation in 2019.
Lenny Cioe, Ruggerio’s primary opponent in Senate District 4 is pounding the Senate president on the issue.
“As a nurse, I know protecting a woman's right to choose is fundamental for health. If we don't respect a woman's right to choose, how will we protect our state's future? I'm running against Ruggerio this September. Let's elect a real Democrat this fall,” Cioe Tweeted on Wednesday.
And Jennifer Rourke, McCaffrey’s Democratic opponent in the fight for Senate District 29 is also criticizing McCaffrey.
In response to a GoLocal inquiry about their 2019 vote, Ruggerio and McCaffrey’s office at the State House issued the following statement:
In preparation for a potential overturn of Roe v. Wade at the US Supreme Court, the Rhode Island Senate acted in 2019 to preserve the status quo of abortion rights in Rhode Island. As a result of that action, the Reproductive Privacy Act is now law in Rhode Island, and abortion rights will not change in our state regardless of what the US Supreme Court decides.
The Reproductive Privacy Act has been law in Rhode Island for three years now, and, as leaders of the Senate, we will not entertain any effort to amend that statute.
A Hot Summer for Ruggerio and McCaffrey
Now, reproductive rights advocates, groups like The Womxn Project are advocating for adoption of legislation at the state level -- the Equality in Abortion Coverage Act (EACA).
The legislation "will eliminate the ban that withholds health insurance coverage for abortion in the state Medicaid program and associated plans, and the denial of coverage for abortion in the state employees’ health insurance," according to the group.
Ruggerio and McCaffrey are not advocates of the legislation. The issue is expected to be a front-burner all summer as the campaign develops.
A repeal of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court may have a major impact on the biggest legislative fights in Rhode Island.
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