AG HEALEY JOINS NATIONAL COALITION OF ATTORNEYS GENERAL IN ISSUING JOINT STATEMENT REAFFIRMING COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING ACCESS TO ABORTION CARE

AG HEALEY JOINS NATIONAL COALITION OF ATTORNEYS GENERAL IN ISSUING JOINT STATEMENT REAFFIRMING COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING ACCESS TO ABORTION CARE

            BOSTON – AG Healey today joined a national coalition of 22 attorneys general in issuing the following joint statement reaffirming their commitment to supporting and expanding access to abortion care. Despite the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, access to safe and legal abortion remains robustly protected in numerous states across the country, including in Massachusetts and the coalition states.

 

“Abortion care is healthcare. Period. We stand together, as our states’ chief law officers, to proudly say that we will not back down in the fight to protect the rights of pregnant people in our states and across the country. While the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision reverses nearly half a century of legal precedent and undermines the rights of people across the United States, we’re joining together to reaffirm our commitment to supporting and expanding access to abortion care nationwide.

 

“While this is a perilous moment for our nation, it is a moment that calls for action. Our promise to our residents is simple: We’ll never stop defending your rights. Regardless of the decision in Dobbs, broad access to abortion remains protected in states that recognize reproductive freedom, such as ours. We refuse to go back to the days of politicians trying to tell people what to do with their bodies. When it comes to abortion care, it’s your body and your right to choose. Nobody else gets to make those decisions.

 

“For generations, Americans have relied on the existence of a constitutional right to abortion to make deeply personal decisions about their lives, their futures, and their families. As a result of the decision in Dobbs, people across the nation are now confronted with the prospect of having to travel from their homes to our states to seek access to the fundamental healthcare to which they should be entitled. For those unable to make the journey, laws banning abortion in their home states will lead to poorer health outcomes and reduced socioeconomic opportunities. Those harms will fall disproportionately on people of color and people with fewer resources, further perpetuating our nation’s historical inequities.

 

“Ultimately, what harms people in some states harms us all. The future and well-being of our nation is intrinsically tied to the ability of our residents to exercise their fundamental rights, including the right to liberty, privacy, and access to abortion care. If you seek access to abortion and reproductive healthcare, we’re committed to using the full force of the law to support you. You have our word. We will continue to use all legal tools at our disposal to fight for your rights and stand up for our laws. We will support our partners and service providers. Together, we will persist.”

 

            The multistate coalition filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in September 2021 in Dobbs, in which the attorneys general pledged to continue to advocate for the rights of pregnant people across the country.

 

            In issuing today’s statement AG Healey joins the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington

AT & T 撥款10萬元支持擴辦波士頓市數位科技到家計畫

 Grant from AT&T Supports Expansion of Tech Goes Home Digital Equity Work in Boston

BOSTON, June 27  – Tech Goes Home (TGH), a non-profit working to address digital inequity, is expanding its work in Boston with the support of a $100,000 grant from AT&T, enabling TGH to provide more individuals and families with high-quality digital devices, reliable internet, and digital skills training.

“We are incredibly grateful for AT&T’s impactful support,” said TGH Chief Advocacy Officer Marvin Venay. “Lack of access to the internet, digital devices, and culturally-responsive skills training continues to prevent thousands of people in Boston from participating in the digital world. Through TGH’s programming, students, workers, seniors, and other community members can gain access to the tools and skills they need to participate in school, find and keep employment, connect with loved ones and more. The unmet need for these resources in Boston remains significant, and AT&T’s investment ensures that TGH is able to reach more individuals and families in need.” 

TGH works with a diverse network of community-based organizations and instructors to reach learners in Boston and across Eastern Massachusetts. Antonio Lobo is a TGH Board Member and leads courses in East Boston and Jamaica Plain. “I have personally trained around 1000 individuals from different walks of life,” he said. “TGH training and devices have proven to be a launcher and a platform that has enhanced and made significant and palpable gains in the quality of life of those who have participated in the program; learners gained skills that allowed them to improve their lives, from promotions in their jobs to attending higher education institutions.” 

“Everyone deserves the power to use technology with confidence. Our ongoing collaboration with Tech Goes Home is helping Boston students of all ages gain the knowledge and tools necessary to harness the digital world’s extraordinary potential,” said Patricia Jacobs, President – AT&T Northern Region. “We’re grateful to Tech Goes Home and Mayor Wu for their leadership, commitment, and creative approach to addressing the digital divide. Now more than ever, it is critical to ensure the right resources are getting into the right hands, and we are honored to play a role in TGH’s efforts in Boston and across Massachusetts.”

Since TGH was founded in 2000, more than 50,000 people have graduated from a TGH course. Led by trusted community instructors, TGH courses are tailored to the specific needs of learners and provide a total of 15 hours of relevant digital skills training, as well as a laptop or tablet and up to one year of reliable internet service. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, TGH worked with instructors and partner organizations to make many of its courses fully virtual, making strides towards meeting the evolving demand in Boston and beyond. Support from corporate sponsors like AT&T is critical to continuing to close the gap on unmet need and equip more people with the tools and support to participate in the digital world.  

麻州長提案減稅7億元

Senior Advocacy Groups Urge Passage of Baker-Polito Tax Cuts to Support Older Adults 

 

BOSTON – Today, several advocacy organizations representing older adults in Massachusetts urged passage of the Baker-Polito Administration’s comprehensive tax relief plan. The Administration’s proposal would provide $700 million in tax relief to support those most impacted by rising prices and inflation, such as seniors on fixed incomes, renters and residents who care for older adults or children. State tax revenues continue to dramatically overperform expectations, with a recent deposit of $2 billion deposit of excess capital gains revenue into the Stabilization Fund leading to an all-time high balance of $6.6 billion. Even with that historic deposit, the Commonwealth is on track for a significant surplus at the end of the fiscal year, and the advocacy organizations today urged legislative action to give some of that surplus back to taxpayers.

 

“Older adults, many of whom are on fixed incomes, have been especially hard-hit by inflation and rising prices, and our tax cut plan would provide meaningful relief for seniors and their families,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “With state tax revenues continuing to come in far above benchmark, state government can more than afford to give seniors and other residents hurt by inflation a tax break. We hope our colleagues in the Legislature will join us to enact these tax cuts which would help those who are hardest hit by these tough times.”

 

“Inflation and rising prices are impacting everyone in Massachusetts, but especially seniors on fixed incomes,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “Our tax cut plan takes advantage of Massachusetts’ large expected surplus and targets relief to populations and communities who have been hardest-hit by both the pandemic and ongoing economic pressures.”

 

“The Commonwealth remains in a historically strong fiscal position and has ample resources to continue investing in critical areas of need, while also implementing important tax relief measures for everyone in Massachusetts – particularly seniors,” said Secretary of Administration and Finance Michael J. Heffernan. “We look forward to working with the Legislature over the coming weeks to pass these benefits onto hundreds of thousands of hardworking taxpayers and help ensure the continued strength of the Massachusetts economy in the long-term.”

 

“At no time in our history has the Commonwealth had such excess revenue,” said Mike Festa, State Director, AARP Massachusetts. “Since Governor Baker filed these proposed reforms on January 27, 2022, we have seen very significant revenue surpluses.  AARP strongly urges action now.  Measures such as tax credits and other financial assistance, or both, to Massachusetts’ 844,000 family caregivers; doubling the maximum Senior Circuit Breaker Credit; and increasing the rental deduction cap help lower and middle-income residents and their families achieve increased health and financial security and facilitate their ability to age in their own home and community.  In addition, we continue to urge legislators to use some of the excess state revenue to provide a family caregiving tax credit.”

 

“The Mass Councils on Aging encourages the Legislature to act now, and pass measures that can achieve greater economic security and well-being for seniors such as doubling the maximum Senior Circuit Breaker Credit which will allow many seniors to remain in their homes and maintain the essential and in many cases, life-long connections they have built in their communities and will help to improve their economic security,” said Betsy Connell, Interim Executive Director of the Massachusetts Association of Councils on Aging.

 

"Through AgeFriendly.org, the Age-Friendly Institute hears from older adults in the Commonwealth and around the country every day,” said Tim Driver, President of the Age-Friendly Institute. “We collect and curate these voices and opinions via online ratings, reviews and conversations on a variety of topics. It's very clear these older taxpayers want and need alternative forms of income and other ways to save.  The tax relief to be passed to older Massachusetts residents through these proposals will make it easier for residents to make ends meet. The Age-Friendly Institute supports the moves.”

 

The plan includes several tax relief measures:

 

• Double the maximum Senior Circuit Breaker Credit to lower the overall tax burden for more than 100,000 lower-income homeowners aged 65+, resulting in $60 million in annual savings for low-income seniors.
• Increase the rental deduction cap from $3,000 to $5,000, allowing approximately 881,000 Massachusetts renters to keep approximately $77 million more annually
• Double the dependent care credit to $480 for one qualifying individual and $960 for two or more, and double the household dependent care credit to $360 for one qualifying individual and $720 for two or more to benefit more than 700,000 families, resulting in $167 million in annualized savings for eligible taxpayers
• Increase the Massachusetts adjusted gross income (AGI) thresholds for “no tax status” to $12,400 for single filers, $24,800 for joint filers, and $18,650 for head of households, which will eliminate the income tax for more than 234,000 low-income filers
• Double the estate tax threshold and eliminate the current “cliff effect” that taxes the full amount below the threshold
• Change the short-term capital gains tax rate to the personal income tax rate of 5% to align the Commonwealth with most other states

 

The plan would have an outsized impact on the communities hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, the rental deduction increase would provide $34 million in annual tax relief to renters in the 20 “equity communities” that the Department of Public Health identified as having been hardest-hit by the pandemic (based on factors like social determinants of health and the disproportionate racial impact of the pandemic). The “no tax status” change to eliminate the income tax for more low-income people would result in nearly $12 million in annual savings in those same communities.

Americans Sweep Titles at 2022 B.A.A. 10K presented by Brigham and Women’s Hospital

 Americans Sweep Titles at 2022 B.A.A. 10K presented by Brigham and Women’s Hospital

 

Susannah Scaroni sets world wheelchair record to cap off a memorable return to the roads of Boston

 

BOSTON – It was an American sweep at the 2022 B.A.A. 10K presented by Brigham and Women’s Hospital, with Leonard Korir (28:00) and Keira D’Amato (31:17) winning the professional open divisions and Susannah Scaroni and Hermin Garic capturing the wheelchair crowns. The pace was as hot as the weather, with the wily veteran Korir setting a personal best and Scaroni shattering the wheelchair world record for the distance.

 

Complete results of today’s B.A.A. 10K can be found here.

“It feels really nice!” said Scaroni, who won a gold medal at 5,000 meters in the 2020 Paralympics but two weeks later was struck by a car while training. “It’s always great to be at a race where they’re trying to make it world-record eligible.” Scaroni broke the tape in 21:56, shattering Tatyana McFadden’s previous mark of 23:34.

As pleased as she was with the record, Scaroni was also excited to win the race outright. Asked if she had ever been the first wheelchair athlete, man or woman, across the line, she beamed. “Oh no, never! I didn’t expect that at all.”

Winning the men’s wheelchair race was Boston Marathon veteran Hermin Garic, in 22:07. “It feels awesome, coming back to Boston.”

In the men’s open division, a pack of 17, led by Bravin Kiptoo, went through the first mile in a scorching 4:21.

“When I saw the first people were so fast, I knew they were going to pay,” said Korir, a 2016 Olympian who has already won national titles this year at the half marathon and 25K. “It was like suicide. I said, ‘let me just hang in there and strike when the time comes.’”

The men ran the second mile in 4:24, but had slowed to 4:37 by the fifth. By that time, it was Kennedy Kimutai and Korir running neck-and-neck. “With a mile to go, I realized I was feeling so strong. I said, ‘let me just go now.’”

He would surge ahead to win in 28:00, nine seconds faster than the personal best he set on this course in 2014. Kimutai would finish second in 28:07, with Philemon Kiplimo third in 28:09. American Ben True was fourth in the same time; Ben Flanagan, fifth in 28:11, set a Canadian 10K record and also set a national mark through 8K in 22:30.

In the women’s race, D’Amato said that her goal was to race aggressively and go after the pace. Mission accomplished: A pack hit mile 1 in 5:05, but by mile 3 (reached in 15:08) she and Kenya’s Sharon Lokedi were gapping the field. As they battled, they ran mile 4 in 4:29, 30 seconds ahead of their chasers.

“We were battling it out,” said D’Amato, who in January broke the American record for the marathon when she ran 2:19:12 in Houston. “That was a fierce duel. With 1200 [meters] to go, she was breathing really hard and I just went by her.” Lokedi succumbed to the heat and humidity on Charles Street roughly 200 meters from the line and would not finish.

American Emily Sisson finished as runner-up in 32:03, with the 42-year-old Edna Kiplagat, the 2017 Boston Marathon champion, third in 32:09.

Claiming the inaugural B.A.A. 10K Para Athletics Divisions were Adrianne Haslet (1:15:19) and Marko Cheseto Lemtukei (35:44) for T61-T64 (lower limb impairment) classification and Erich Manser (50:49) and Jennifer Herring (45:41) in the T11-T15 (vision impairment) classification. Haslet earned the title on her birthday, and was exuberant at the opportunity to win on the road of Boston.

“To not just be invited to run a race, but invited to compete means that we’re being included among some of the world’s best runners with the world-class B.A.A. as hosts. It can’t get much better than that,” said Haslet.

Approximately 5,146 participants crossed the finish line of today’s B.A.A. 10K. Brigham and Women's Hospital, the B.A.A. 10K’s presenting sponsor and exclusive fundraising partner, fielded a team of more than 350 fundraising runners. Since 2016, more than 2,100 runners and 180 teams have raised $1.2 million to fuel life-giving breakthroughs at Brigham and Women’s Hospital through the B.A.A. 10K.

The third and final event of the 2022 B.A.A. Distance Medley will be the B.A.A. Half Marathon presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fun on Sunday, November 13. Registration is currently open within the B.A.A.’s online platform, Athletes’ Village.

Complete results of today’s B.A.A. 10K can be found here.

紐英崙中華公所訂8/14舉辦第52屆華埠中秋聯歡會

 轉載自紐英崙中華公所網站:

 (紐英崙中華公所訊) 紐英倫中華公所 (CCBA) 很榮幸的宣布，我們將於 2022 年 8 月 14 日星期日上午 10 時至下午 5 時舉行第52 屆華埠中秋節聯歡會。邀請您一同參加這個精彩的全天活動。
每年，紐英倫中華公所都會組織華埠中秋節聯歡會。如今，已是第 52 屆，在這一天的活動中，您可以欣賞眾多文化表演（包括舞獅、中國音樂和歌唱、傳統民間舞蹈和武術）以及中國書法、工藝美術，及各式小食和小商品的展示和購買活動。中秋節活動不僅慶祝了一個重要的中國節日，而且還旨在吸引各種背景的人來到波士頓的唐人街，突出紐英倫中華公所和唐人街為公眾提供的服務和對社區民眾進行的中國文化教育。這活動每年都會吸引來自大波士頓地區及其他地區的數千名觀眾前來參加。
雖然中國有很多關於中秋節的傳說，但這個中國節日實際上是起源於公元前 771 年——它在歷史上代表人們於滿月之夜慶祝稻米和小麥的年度豐收的節日。時至今日，中秋節和美國的感恩節非常相似。中秋節如今是一個朋友和家人歡聚一堂、一同感恩，並對未來進行祈禱的節日。
中秋節所食用的月餅是一種圓形甜點，由蓮蓉和蛋黃（代表月亮）製成；它是家庭團結的象徵，作為慶祝活動的一部分在家人和朋友之間分享。
希望大家能與紐英倫中華公所一同在 2022 年 8 月 14 日星期日參加華埠中秋節聯歡會。此活動向公眾開放，無需繳納入場費。如需獲取有關紐英倫中華公所和華埠中秋節聯歡會的最新消息，請訪問ccbaboston.org 或關注我們的Facebook主頁：facebook.com/ccbaboston。

The Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association of New England (CCBA) is pleased to announce the 52 nd Chinatown August Moon Festival, which will be held on Sunday, August 14, 2022 from 10AM – 5PM. Please join us for this wonderful all-day event.

Each year, the CCBA organizes Chinatown’s August Moon Festival. Now in its 52 nd year, Chinatown’s August Moon Festival is a day-long event filled with cultural performances (including lion dancing, Chinese music and singing, traditional folk dance, and martial arts) as well as Chinese calligraphy, arts and crafts, and various vendors of Chinese food and merchandise. The festival not only celebrates an important Chinese holiday, but also serves to attract people of all backgrounds to Boston’s Chinatown and to highlight what the CCBA and Chinatown have to offer the general public and to educate people on Chinese culture. The event attracts thousands of spectators from the greater Boston area and beyond to Boston’s Chinatown each year.
Although there is much Chinese lore concerning the August Moon Festival, this Chinese holiday, which traces its origins back to 771 BCE, historically celebrated the annual harvest of rice and wheat on a night of the full moon. Today, the August Moon Festival in Chinese culture is very similar to American Thanksgiving. The
fundamental concepts the August Moon Festival celebrates are the gathering of friends and family, thanksgiving, and prayers for the future.
Mooncakes, a round dessert typically filled with lotus paste and an egg yolk (representing the moon), and which are a symbol of family unity, are shared between family and friends as part of the celebration.
Please come join the CCBA in this celebration on Sunday, August 14, 2022. This event is open to the public, no admission fee is required. For information and updates concerning the CCBA and the August Moon Festival, please visit ccbaboston.org or like us on Facebook at facebook.com/ccbaboston.

波士頓市婦女進步辦公室發英西中三語聲明 解釋墮胎權法案

(Boston Orange 編譯版) 美國最高法院今天在以6比3的壓倒性票數，裁決Dobbs vs. the Jackson 婦女健康組織這案件時，還推翻了保護婦女墮胎憲法權的2個之前案例，1973年的Roe v. Wade，以及1992年計劃生育 (Planned Parenthood) v. Casey。 這一決定上個月就被洩漏出來了，但直到今日才正式裁定。 墮胎在麻州將仍然合法。感謝許多來自波士頓，以及麻州各地的有先見之明者，麻州議會近年以 過法令，為這一權利提供額外保障。查詢如何參與，以及如何獲取服務，可查市長的婦女進步辦公室 (MOWA) 的”性與生育健康指南”。 州政府現在將決定婦女對自己的身體是否有自主權。在許多州，婦女已經失去獲取安全及合法墮胎的權利，因為此案觸發的禁令將立即生效。還有更多州會追隨。 墮胎是醫療，而且強迫懷孕會有健康後果，尤其是傳統上被邊緣化了的，以及獲得服務不足的社區將不成比例的感受到影響。黑人婦女比白人婦女(社區催化劑)所遭遇的母體死亡危險高3倍。無可否認的，進一步限制墮胎醫療護理會增加黑及棕色社區已經很巨大的醫療平等差距。 以吳弭市長的話來說，”這是不可忍受的。在波士頓，我們永遠不會停止為我們的自由，以及為我們彼此做抗爭。我們會繼續為每個人保護生育權，並未這次裁決之後可能發生的事做準備。 如果你想要幫忙確保人們獲得安全、合法的墮胎，請考慮經由墮胎基金全國網 (National Network of Abortion Funds)捐款給草根組織。資源及支持將用於彌平全美各地，不論他們住在哪兒的懷孕者的護理差距。 團結的， Alexandra Valdez 市長的婦女進步辦公室主任 以下為波士頓市政府市長的婦女進步辦公室所發表原文 Statement on SCOTUS Decision Overturning Roe v. Wade, June 24th, 2022

In a devastating 6-3 decision in the case Dobbs vs. the Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the US Supreme Court overturned the precedents of Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992), which protected women’s constitutional right to abortion. The decision had been leaked earlier last month but was not official until today’s ruling. Abortion continues to be legal in Massachusetts. Thanks to the prescient advocacy of many from Boston and across the Commonwealth, the MA Legislature has passed laws in recent years that provide additional safeguards for this right. For information about how to get involved and how to access services, please see MOWA’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Guide. States will now be left to decide whether women will have the right to bodily autonomy. In many states, women will have already lost their right to access safe and legal abortions, because of trigger bans that will immediately go into effect. Many more states will soon follow. Abortion is healthcare and forced pregnancy will have health consequences, disproportionately felt in traditionally marginalized and underserved communities. Black women experience three times the maternal mortality risks as white women (Community Catalyst). There is no denying that further restricting abortion health care will increase the already vast health equity gap for black and brown communities. In the words of Mayor Wu, “This cannot stand. In Boston we will never stop fighting for our freedoms and for each other.” The Mayor’s Office of Women's Advancement is committed to meeting the moment. We will continue to protect reproductive rights for everyone and prepare for challenges that may come after this decision. If you want to help ensure access to safe and legal abortion, consider donating to grass roots organizations through the National Network of Abortion Funds. Resources and support are directed to fill the gaps in care for pregnant people across the country, regardless of where they live. In solidarity,  Alexandra Valdez Executive Director, Mayor's Office of Women's Advancement Hoy, en una devastadora decisión de 6-3, la Corte Suprema de EE. UU. anuló Roe v. Wade (1973) y Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992), cuales protegían el derecho constitucional de las mujeres al aborto. El aborto sigue siendo legal en Massachusetts. El aborto es atención médica y el embarazo forzado tendrá consecuencias para la salud que se sentirán de manera desproporcionada en comunidades tradicionalmente marginadas y desatendidas. No se puede negar que restringir aún más la atención médica del aborto aumentará la brecha de equidad en salud que ya es enorme. La Oficina de la Alcaldía para el Avance de la Mujer y la Ciudad de Boston están comprometidas a hacer frente al momento. Continuaremos protegiendo los derechos reproductivos de todos y preparándonos para los desafíos que puedan surgir después de esta decisión. En palabras de la Alcaldesa Wu, “Esto no puede sostenerse. En Boston nunca dejaremos de luchar por nuestras libertades y por los demás”.

今天，美国最高法院以6 比3, 摧毁性的裁决，推翻了罗诉韦德案(1973) [Roe v. Wade (1973)] 宾州东南部计划生育组织诉凯西案[Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992)]，之前的裁决保障了妇女在宪法上的堕胎权利。 在马萨诸塞州，堕胎仍然是合法的。 堕胎是一种医疗保健，强迫要继续怀孕下去，会产生不良的健康后果，尤其在一直于传统上, 已被边缘化, 和服务不足的社区中，后果更为明显。不能否, 认进一步限制给予堕胎医疗保健，会扩大本身已经是巨大的健康公平差距。 市长妇女进步办公室和波士顿市府承诺致力, 迎接此时刻。我们将继续保护每个人有决定生育的权利，并为此裁决后, 可能出现的挑战及困难做好准备。 吴弭市长说：「这不能接受的。在波士顿，我们将永远不会停止为大家的自由彼此而战。」今天，美国最高法院以6 比3, 摧毁性的裁决，推翻了罗诉韦德案(1973) [Roe v. Wade (1973)] 宾州东南部计划生育组织诉凯西案[Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992)]，之前的裁决保障了妇女在宪法上的堕胎权利。 在马萨诸塞州，堕胎仍然是合法的。 堕胎是一种医疗保健，强迫要继续怀孕下去，会产生不良的健康后果，尤其在一直于传统上, 已被边缘化, 和服务不足的社区中，后果更为明显。不能否, 认进一步限制给予堕胎医疗保健，会扩大本身已经是巨大的健康公平差距。 市长妇女进步办公室和波士顿市府承诺致力, 迎接此时刻。我们将继续保护每个人有决定生育的权利，并为此裁决后, 可能出现的挑战及困难做好准备。 吴弭市长说：「这不能接受的。在波士顿，我们将永远不会停止为大家的自由彼此而战。」

今天，美國最高法院以 6 比 3,  摧毁性的裁決，推翻了羅訴韋德案(1973) [Roe v. Wade (1973)] 賓州東南部計劃生育組織訴凱西案[Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992)]，之前的裁決保障了婦女在憲法上的墮胎權利。 在馬薩諸塞州，墮胎仍然是合法的。 墮胎是一種醫療保健，強迫要繼續懷孕下去，會產生不良的健康後果，尤其在一直於傳統上, 已被邊緣化, 和服務不足的社區中，後果更為明顯。不能否, 認進一步限制給予墮胎醫療保健，會擴大本身已經是巨大的健康公平差距。 市長婦女進步辦公室和波士頓市府承諾致力, 迎接此時刻。我們將繼續保護每個人有決定生育的權利，並為此裁決後, 可能出現的挑戰及困難做好準備。 吳弭市長說：「這不能接受的。在波士頓，我們將永遠不會停止為大家的自由彼此而戰。」

Warren、Healey，吳弭等民代、民眾上街頭 譴責美最高法院推翻墮胎權案例

民代及反禁止墮胎人士聚集在麻州州政府大樓前譴責美國最高法院的裁決。 (周菊子攝)

             (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓綜合報導) 美國最高法院今 (24) 日以6比3票推翻50年前的Roe V Wade法案，廢除女性墮胎權。消息傳出後，各界” 炸鍋” ，聯邦，州，市的民代及官員紛紛走上街頭，譴責最高法院的決定，連拜登總統都發聲明要保護婦女獲得醫療的權利。

聯邦參議員Elizabeth Warren 揚言最後決定絕不在這些大法官手中。(周菊子攝)

              麻州州長查理貝克 (Charlie Baker)也在第一時間簽署行政命令，聲言保護婦女的選擇權，獲得醫療服務權，同時也將保護位婦女提供墮胎服務的機構及人員。

                            最高法院推翻Roe V. Wade案的裁決，意味著關於墮胎權，將留交國會和各州來決定。

              在Roe v Wade案被推翻後，大都在美國南部及中西部的13州，已經有禁止墮胎的法令。另有大約6州，爭議懷孕到什麼時候之前可以墮胎。

      華盛頓郵報指出，最高法院今日推翻了大約在50年前，經Roe V Wade法案所訂的墮胎為基本權利法，將容許各州自由的大幅縮減婦女在墮胎方面的相關權益，甚至直接把墮胎訂定為違法行為。

波士頓市長吳弭 (Michelle Wu)談及做為移民子女，她有時不知自己的歸屬，但深知父母
為了讓下一代生活得更好，才移民，犧牲很大時，眼眶泛淚。 (周菊子攝)

              這6比3票，本來只是支持密西西州的有限制性法案。美國最高法院首席法官John G. Roberts批評他的保守派同事，採取額外步驟，推翻了Roe和計畫生育對抗Casey案，一宗在1999年裁決，重新確認墮胎憲法權的案子。

麻州總檢察長奚莉 (Maura Healey) 發言時語氣激動，一連串說"I promise you"的
做了多項承諾。(周菊子攝)

                             在Samuel A. Alito, Jr.撰寫的最後意見裁決文上，贊成的法官還有Clarence Thomas，Neil Gorsuch， Brett Kavanaugh ，以及Amy Coney Barrett。持不同意見的法官為Stephen Breyer， Sonia Sotomayor，以及 Elena Kagan等3人。

              一旦Roe v Wade案被推翻後，美國有大都在南部及中西部的13州，已經有禁止墮胎的法令。另有大約6州，爭議將在什麼時候可以墮胎。

              根據支持墮胎權的Guttmacher 研究院整理的數據，90%以上的墮胎都是在懷孕後的頭13個星期做的，現在有一半以上的墮胎都是用藥片，而不是手術來完成的。

聯邦及州市民代，以及反禁制墮胎人士在麻州州政府大樓前輪番發言。 (周菊子攝)

              代表麻州的聯邦參議員Elizabeth Warren，麻州總檢察長奚莉(Maura Healey) ，波士頓市長吳弭 (Michelle Wu) ，以及許多名州市議員，在現在就生育公平 (Reproductive Equity Now)主任Rebecca Hart Holder的主持中，匯聚在麻州州政府的金鼎大樓前，一一發言，表達他們對這裁決感到憤怒，揚言麻州絕不會回到重前。

              Elizabeth Warren批評那6

轄區在昆士市的麻州參議員John Kenan (右一)也出席支持反禁止墮胎。 (周菊子攝)

名法官為極端份子，認為他們可以強迫美國人向他們個人的宗教及道德觀點低頭。她說人們必須讓他們知道，他們並不是有最後決定權的人。她表示自己十分氣憤，因為她經歷過婦女沒有墮胎權保護的那些年頭。那時候，有錢，有資源的人，一樣可以得到他們想要的墮胎，但是那些貧窮的女性，有色人種，或是十幾歲，被教練性侵的女孩及青少年，以及那些已經忙著要打兩、三份工來維持家計的女性們，得為這法案付出代價。

              吳弭說，絕大多數的美國人已經表達了不希望Roe V Wade案被推翻的意願，那些法官對這法案會對人們有些什麼影響根本沒概念。吳弭表示，她作為一名在美國長大的移民子女，有時候會覺得不知道自己到底歸屬何方，但她對父母所做的犧牲，所留傳的價值，遠見，以及確保下一代過得更好承諾，一直有很深刻的了解。她說當知道她的下一代可能不會過得更好時，很讓人傷心。她說當人們站出來支持正義時，所有人都獲益。麻州人要攜手和其他州合作，確保美國夢可以持續。

             奚莉 (Maura Healey)說，今天發生的這事，讓人非常痛心。她去拜訪過好些個計劃生育診所，知道有些人甚至面對生命威脅。她說這是對女性的攻擊，是壓制，邊緣化，弱小化女性的行動。作為一名總檢察官，眼見法官做出這樣的決定，她真的非常痛心，但這就是現在社會中發生的事。她說受影響最大的其實是貧窮的，有色的人種， 60%的墮胎是已經有小孩的人做的。還要有多少家庭被這法案推到懸崖邊緣。

              奚莉藉此案強調，這就是選舉的意義所在，也所以選舉是重要的。奚莉表示，她可以做幾項承諾，包括承諾麻州將支持代表麻州的聯邦議員們，在聯邦政府那兒通過法案，矯正此裁決；麻州州長查理貝克剛簽署的保護醫療提供者，保護病人的行政命令將持續有效，麻州也會儘快立法，落實這保障；她作為麻州總檢察長還將保證麻州內沒有人會被調查，被捕，或被威嚇。

              奚莉和”現在就生育公平 (Reproductive Equity Now)”主任Rebecca Hart Holder今日在GBH上聯名發表了一篇評論文章，指稱禁止墮胎不只是性別平等議題，也是經濟正義議題，對美國經濟將有負面影響。如果沒有這禁令，將有多達50萬名婦女可以加入就業行列。 (更新版)