As many states move to outlaw abortion, Washington state Democrats look for ways to strengthen...

Under a blazing sun at the steps to the state Capitol on Saturday, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee kicked off a news conference that sounded more like a political rally.

It had been little more than 24 hours since the U.S. Supreme Court had reversed nearly half-a-century of constitutional protection for abortion.

Inslee, facing a crowd that had gathered on the Capitol steps, called the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization “radical and un-American.”

As he spoke, Inslee was flanked by several Democratic state lawmakers, including state Rep. My-Linh Thai of Bellevue who told the story of getting pregnant despite using contraception while in school to become a pharmacist and choosing to have an abortion.

“I made a choice, a choice that would afford me to finish my education, a choice that would impact my future, a choice that would allow me to have a healthy family when I am ready,” Thai said to shouts of support from the crowd.