Maine political leaders are speaking out about Friday's U.S. Supreme Court opinion overturning the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision on abortion.

“This decision is a fundamental assault on women’s rights and on reproductive freedom that will do nothing to stop abortion. In fact, it will only make abortion less safe and jeopardize the lives of women across the nation,” Gov. Janet Mills said in a statement.

The court issued its 5-4 ruling Friday morning, which followed the draft opinion leaked last month that hinted the court would be striking down the nearly 50-year-old decision establishing a constitutional right to abortion.

In the majority ruling, Justice Samuel Alito wrote: "Roe was egregiously wrong from the start. Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences. And far from bringing about a national settlement of the abortion issue, Roe and Casey have enflamed debate and deepened division.” Alito’s comment refers to Planned Parenthood vs. Casey, a 1992 Supreme Court ruling that upheld Roe v. Wade. 

“I will defend the right to reproductive health care with everything I have, and I pledge to the people of Maine that, so long as I am governor, my veto pen will stand in the way of any effort to undermine, rollback, or outright eliminate the right to safe and legal abortion in Maine,” Mills said.

Karen Vachon, executive director of Maine Right to Life, lauded the court's decision, saying it now gives the states a chance to weigh in on the issue.

"Overturning Roe does not prohibit abortions. Rather, the Court’s decision will allow states to pass Pro-Life legislation. It goes back to the people and state legislature, and it allows states to choose abortion policy representative to the citizens.This is a victory for women, the unborn and the Pro-Life movement that has worked so hard to save and promote life. For far too long, pro-abortion groups have gotten away with the sky-is-falling argument that overturning Roe would outlaw abortions or reverse 'abortion rights,'" Vachon wrote.

Members of Maine’s congressional district were also quick to weigh in. Rep. Chellie Pingree took to Twitter to call the court “shamefully partisan.” In a full statement, Pingree criticized the court’s decision.

“Government control of reproduction is downright totalitarian. It is never in the best interest of society for politicians to decide when a person must give birth. Today’s ruling is rooted in ideological zealotry, not the common good. As a direct result of this decision, women will now be jailed for seeking abortion care while others will die because of pregnancy complications and unsafe self-abortion treatments,” she wrote.

Sen. Angus King also spoke out against the court’s decision and pledged to keep fighting for women’s rights, including abortion rights.

“While there is no clear or easy path to reverse this decision, I will continue doing everything in my power to protect this fundamental right. I will pursue any possible compromise and will not rest until women across the nation can once again make this personal decision with the input of loved ones and medical professionals – not the government,” King wrote.

Rep. Jared Golden, who called the decision "a grave mistake," echoed King's commitment to protecting abortion rights locally.

“Here in Maine, the reproductive healthcare decisions of women remain protected under current state law. Today’s decision should remind us just how important it is to fight for state legislative majorities that will safeguard the right of a woman to make private decisions about her body. And while the odds of success may be long, I believe Congress should work to find ways to protect women’s rights to the greatest extent possible by codifying as much of the Roe and Casey frameworks as possible within the constraints of our narrow majorities, even if we are unable to preserve the entire pre-Dobbs status quo,” Golden wrote. 

Republican Sen. Susan Collins also criticized the decision in a statement, and voiced concerns for the future.

“The Supreme Court has abandoned a fifty-year precedent at a time that the country is desperate for stability. This ill-considered action will further divide the country at a moment when, more than ever in modern times, we need the Court to show both consistency and restraint. Throwing out a precedent overnight that the country has relied upon for half a century is not conservative. It is a sudden and radical jolt to the country that will lead to political chaos, anger, and a further loss of confidence in our government," Collins wrote.

Her comments Friday didn't address her confirmation votes for justices Neil Gorsuch Brett Kavanaugh, who both voted in the majority. 

In May after a draft opinion in the Dobbs case was leaked to the media, Collins said it would be "inconsistent" with what the justices said during the confirmation process.

“If this leaked draft opinion is the final decision and this reporting is accurate, it would be completely inconsistent with what Justice Gorsuch and Justice Kavanaugh said in their hearings and in our meetings in my office,” Collins said in a May statement. “Obviously, we won’t know each justice’s decision and reasoning until the Supreme Court officially announces its opinion in this case.”

Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey, in a statement, said he was "gutted" by the decision, but also voiced his commitment to protecting abortion rights in Maine.

“I want to be clear: despite this decision, abortion remains legal in Maine. But now we have been reminded that this right is vulnerable and requires vigorous protection. Maine policymakers are now the last line of defense of this right. I promise that as Attorney General, I will continue to do everything in my power to ensure unfettered access to abortion services.” 

Planned Parenthood Maine announced a march and rally in Portland at 5:15 p.m. Friday in Lincoln Park and ending at City Hall. 

“This dangerous and chilling decision will have devastating consequences across the country, forcing people to travel hundreds, sometimes thousands, of miles for care or remain pregnant,” Nicole Clegg, the organization’s vice president of public affairs, said in a statement.