ATLANTA – House Minority Leader James Beverly (D-Macon), State Representatives Erica Thomas (D-Austell), Park Cannon (D-Atlanta), Shea Roberts (D-Atlanta), Rebecca Mitchell (D-Snellville), Renitta Shannon (D-Decatur), Erick Allen (D-Smyrna), Jasmine Clark (D-Lilburn), Dar’shun Kendrick (D-Lithonia), Kim Schofield (D-Atlanta), Matthew Wilson (D-Brookhaven), Sandra Scott (D-Rex), Teri Anulewicz (D-Smyrna), Donna McLeod (D-Lawrenceville), Rhonda Burnough (D-Conyers), Shelly Hutchinson (D-Snellville) and Derrick Jackson (D-Tyrone) will introduce a House resolution to recognize the recent 49th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision on Roe v. Wade. These legislators will also hold a virtual press conference to discuss abortion access TOMORROW, Tuesday, January 25, 2022, at 1 p.m. via Zoom. To register for Zoom access, members of the press may visit www.tinyurl.com/RoePresser.
“We have learned that restrictions to abortion access in Georgia have significant negative consequences for the physical, psychological and socioeconomic well-being of people who become pregnant and their families,” said Rep. Cannon. “Creating a just and equitable world means ending restrictions on abortion care, particularly when the harm falls hardest on those who already face significant barriers to care. Our job as lawmakers is to make the future bigger and better than the status quo. This resolution would demonstrate a vision of a Georgia where the shape, timing, size and makeup of our families is up to each of us.”
Through this House resolution, these Democratic state legislators seek to commit to upholding reproductive freedom for all Georgians and acknowledge the recent anniversary of Roe v. Wade, which was on Saturday, Jan. 22. The resolution will be formally introduced tomorrow, Tuesday, Jan. 25.
Additionally, these state legislators held a roundtable event on the recent anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision. During the roundtable discussion, Emory University researchers presented the results of a recent study that examined nearly 10,000 cases of people seeking abortion care in Georgia and neighboring states. The researchers presented the study’s findings of residents who are most burdened by abortion laws and the potential impact of abortion restrictions in Georgia. The researchers also highlighted that, historically, Black maternal mortality rates decreased 30 to 40 percent when access to legal abortion was expanded.
Representative Park Cannon represents the citizens of District 58, which includes portions of Fulton County. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2016 and currently serves as the House Minority Caucus Secretary. She also serves on the Code Revision, Human Relations & Aging, Insurance, Creative Arts & Entertainment, Ethics and Small Business Development committees.
Representative Rebecca Mitchell represents the citizens of District 106, which includes portions of the cities of Snellville, Grayson, Loganville, Lawrenceville, and unincorporated Lilburn in Gwinnett County. She was first elected to the House Representatives in 2020 and currently serves on the Agriculture and Consumer Affairs, Human Relations and Aging and State Planning and Community Affairs committees.
Representative Jasmine Clark represents the citizens of District 108, which includes portions of Gwinnett County. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2018 and currently serves on the Budget and Fiscal Affairs Oversight, Higher Education, Banks & Banking and Interstate Cooperation committees.
###