TLDR: Judge Thompson has rejected Alabama’s attempt to stop our lawsuit, meaning that we are continuing the fight for our right to fund legal abortions out of state.
“‘The right to interstate travel is one of our most fundamental constitutional rights,’ US District Judge Myron Thompson wrote in a preliminary ruling late Monday.
‘Alabama can no more restrict people from going to, say, California to engage in what is lawful there than California can restrict people from coming to Alabama to do what is lawful here,’ Thompson wrote.”
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“Organizing and advocating for our clients, for our community, and for our families has never been optional. We must hold the state and country to our inalienable Reproductive rights. Today we see the first fruits of this labor and dedication to the collective and our ability to self determine. We stand united, grounded in the belief that our movement holds the power that we need to affect change. Abortion access is central to liberation and Judge Thompson’s ruling is in a win in the right direction. Onward.”
– Jenice Fountain, Yellowhammer Fund’s Executive Director
“While we still have a long road ahead, this recent decision coming from Judge Thompson is a beautiful affirmation that unconditional support of our clients regardless of their pregnancy decisions is our right. Abortion should be accessible in Alabama, and until we can restore access to this vital service, Yellowhammer Fund is committed to supporting people who need to leave the state to access legal care. This decision gets us one step closer to restoring our right to support our communities in the ways they need.”
– Kelsea McLain, Yellowhammer Fund’s Deputy Director
ICYMI: After Roe was overturned and Alabama’s total abortion ban took effect, AL’s Attorney General made it clear that he would look into prosecuting anyone helping Alabama abortion seekers, even those obtaining LEGAL care in access states. Since then, our free speech has been stifled, our abortion funding services have been forced to stop, and our fellow Southerners have suffered under one of the strictest abortion bans in the entire United States.
What’s Next: This victory was a big step forward that we’ve been waiting for – but we still have a long way to go and can’t continue our work without your support.
We will never give up on fighting for our right to help Alabamians seeking abortions, and right now our lawsuit is the best way for us to advocate for abortion for ALL, regardless of where they live.
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Want to learn more about this case and how we got here? Check out our blog posts below: