St. Johns County political parties, Catholic church worker react to Roe v. Wade news
St. Johns County political and religious officials Tuesday expressed mixed opinions about the potential overturning of the landmark 1973 ruling establishing a constitutional right to abortion.
A leaked draft opinion by the U.S. Supreme Court, published by Politico, showed a majority of justices supporting overturning Roe v. Wade and allowing states to ban abortion.
A final decision is not expected for at least two months, and justices could change their minds and rule differently, regardless of what the leaked draft report says now.
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Officials from the Diocese of St. Augustine, the St. Johns Democratic Party and the Republican Party of St. Johns County commented on the issue on Tuesday.
Tamara Renuart, vice chair of the Republican Party of St. Johns County, emailed a statement to The Record:
"As Republicans we believe in life, both born and unborn. In the leaked SCOTUS draft opinion, Roe is returned to the states where it should always have been. The person who leaked the draft opinion committed a deeply political act intended to undermine the Supreme Court and do lasting damage."
Robin Dion, chair of the St. Johns Democratic Party, cited a Pew Research Center report from 2021 that said 59% of adults in the U.S. "say abortion should be legal in all or most cases."
"So if this opinion really becomes the rule of the land, then I would say that the court's opinion is way out of step with the will of most Americans," Dion said.
She said the issue is fundamentally about the equality of men and women, and about women's right to make choices "without a big-brother state telling her what she can and cannot do," she said.
"It's not that Democrats are pro-abortion. We are simply for women having the right to control their own bodies. … so I think it would be very, very sad if this opinion really does turn out to be the opinion of the court and the rule of law," Dion said.
May Oliver directs the Diocese of St. Augustine's Office of Human Life and Dignity, which, among other focus areas, provides free services to pregnant women and women who have gone through abortion and need support, such as counseling.
About the Supreme Court opinion, she said, "It is a leaked draft, and we really are just waiting for the full Supreme Court decision to be made so that we can fully comment on something that is confirmed and authentic to really respond … this would be basically reacting to a premature document."
The office opposes abortion, and the Catholic Church supports life in all stages, Oliver said. Regardless of the Roe v. Wade outcome, the office's services would continue and expand, and the position that "all life is sacred" would not change, she said.
― USA TODAY contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: Abortion ruling: St. Johns County officials react to Roe v. Wade leak
