FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 15, 2019
Contact: Jennifer Wang
(202) 812-9325 / jwang@napawf.org

Yesterday, the Alabama Legislature passed HB 314. This bill would completely ban abortion in the state of Alabama, with the only exception being if a pregnant person will suffer a serious health risk. This evening Governor Ivey signed the bill into law, which will take effect in six months unless courts act to stop it.

National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum Executive Director Sung Yeon Choimorrow issued the following statement in response:

“Extreme lawmakers in Alabama had a singular goal in mind with HB 314: to overturn Roe v. Wade and cut pregnant people off from accessing the care they need. While Roe never was a guarantee of reproductive health and rights for pregnant people of color, an outcome where Roe is overturned, even in part, would be devastating to our communities and other communities most likely to struggle with achieving full self-determination. AAPI women now call on the courts to stop this outrageous attempt to topple Roe by listening first and foremost to our voices and the voices of others most likely to experience barriers to obtaining care with dignity.

“What remains clear and important to note is that today, and for the immediate future, abortion remains legal in Alabama and every other state. NAPAWF will not stop fighting for our agency to make decisions about our lives, our families, and our communities. We demand that the courts do the right thing and listen to communities of color to stop this draconian law in its tracks.”

###

The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) is the only multi-issue, progressive, community organizing and policy advocacy organization for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women and girls in the U.S. NAPAWF’s mission is to build collective power so that all AAPI women and girls can have full agency over our lives, our families, and our communities.