Healey: Supreme Court decisions are a 'terrible direction for the country'

Attorney General Maura Healey said even though she expected the Supreme Court's decision on abortion that overturned Roe v. Wade, it was still hard to see happen.

"This is the direct output of failures, of breakdowns in our democracy," she said during an appearance Friday on Boston Public Radio. "We have a politicized Supreme Court that is doing things that are against the will of the vast majority of people. Yesterday's Bruen decision undermining strong gun laws in this country when the vast majority of Americans, Republican and Democrat, support commonsense gun laws. And today, the overturning of Roe v. Wade. ... In a matter of time the majority of states in this country will ban abortion."

The ripple effects of restricted abortion access are "profound," she said: whether a woman gets an abortion can impact whether she stays in school or work.

"It is a goddamn shame — I will tell you that as a lawyer — it is a shame to know that this is what has happened to our Supreme Court, that it has become this politicized entity and ... that is a terrible direction for the country," she said. "It doesn't leave us without options, though. I think, you know, you hear the emotion in my voice. And I certainly will do everything to turn that into energy, into action. And I know many people will."

Healey said Massachusetts will welcome people looking for an abortion. Her office plans to work with the Massachusetts Legislature and governor to take actions that support reproductive rights, and she said she's spoken to federal officials and politicians in other states to discuss the national response.

"We are going to do everything we can to protect providers and patients here," Healey said. "We are going to be a helper state to other providers and patients in states where they're not going to have access to that needed care."

Immediately after the ruling, Gov. Charlie Baker signed an executive order to shield abortion providers from out-of-state lawsuits if they provide care to patients who live outside of Massachusetts — an action Healey called important. She said Massachusetts will need to shore up its rules regarding licensing boards and medical malpractice insurers to make sure providers are protected.

"We're going to take steps to make sure that providers are shielded from civil and criminal liability, from investigation, from harassment," Healey said. "Making sure that our own agencies here and entities are not participating in investigations or harassing investigations or lawsuits brought by those vigilante private citizens in other states or other state actors — meaning people in Texas or Florida or wherever."

While abortion access was the headline of the Supreme Court's ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson, the opinion also threatens other rights previously established by the court. Healey shared her concerns about the future of same-sex marriage, contraception access and other rights — and encouraged people to "stand up to those who want to take us back" on social issues.

"We've got to take it back through democracy, through getting out the vote, through getting people in office who actually represent the will of the people," she said.