R.I. Supreme Court upholds state abortion rights law

PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the state’s Reproductive Privacy Act, two days after a U.S. Supreme Court draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade was leaked and published by Politico.

The Reproductive Privacy Act was signed into law by then-Gov. Gina Raimondo in 2019 to protect abortion rights in case the U.S. high court overturned the 1973 landmark decision which legalized abortion across the entire nation.

“Construing provisions in the state’s constitution is the function of this court, and we have not been called upon to do so in the context of this case. But in no way has the General Assembly been prohibited from enacting the legislation at issue in the case at bar,” the court said in a ruling written by Justice Maureen McKenna Goldberg.

R.I. Attorney General Peter F. Neronha hailed the state Supreme Court decision.

“I applaud today’s decision by the Rhode Island Supreme Court to uphold the constitutionality of our state’s Reproductive Privacy Act at a critical moment as our country contemplates the future of reproductive freedom,” Neronha said. “The passage of the Reproductive Privacy Act and its continued viability ensures, during an uncertain national climate, that Rhode Island will not return to the days of illegal and unsafe abortions that put the lives of women in danger and created criminal liability for physicians.”

ACLU of Rhode Island Executive Director Steven Brown called the state Supreme Court ruling a crucial victory for the privacy rights of all Rhode Islanders.

“Today’s decision … could not be more timely. It ensures that, no matter what the U.S. Supreme Court does, abortion will remain safe and accessible in this state,” Brown said. “The ACLU will continue to fight for the protection and expansion of this fundamental right.”