Abortion Banned – US Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade
The United States no longer has a constitutional right to abortion after the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade on June 24. In more than 13Â states, there is no constitutional right to abortion. Thesev13 states had passed “Trigger laws” that came into effect once Roe v. Wade was overturned. Others have left outdated laws prohibiting abortion before 1973 on the books; they may now be reintroduced.
Arkansas’s health department informed the state’s two abortion clinics shortly after the announcement that abortions were now prohibited by a law that forbade them all but in cases of medical emergencies where the mother’s life was in danger.
Within hours of the decision, state legislatures and governments started enacting abortion trigger laws to restrict the procedure, and pro-abortion clinics and activists began suing state governments to overturn the bans.
A crowd of mostly young women grew to hundreds outside the blocked Supreme Court. Some shouted, “The Supreme Court is illegitimate.” many others celebrated and danced wearing red shirts that read “The Pro-Life Generation Votes.”
Biden calls the ruling ‘a tragic error.’
Several restrictions went into effect the days after the decision, but some have already been temporarily overturned by the courts, opening the door for new legal disputes.
Some states want to outlaw abortions right now, while others put restrictions in place six weeks or later.
The Biden administration and other pro-choice advocates claimed that the court had led America down “an extreme and hazardous path.” Biden raised concerns about a concurring opinion written by the conservative justice Clarence Thomas, warning that the right-wing court may now target important rights like access to contraception and same-sex marriage.
It is a sad day for the court and the nation, added Biden. In the November elections, he urged voters to use it as a deciding factor, saying, “This decision must not be the last word.”
“Justice Thomas said as much today,” he remarked. He specifically urged people to reconsider the right to marriage equality and the right of couples to make their decisions on contraception.
“This is an extreme and risky path the court has taken us on.”
Every state permits abortion when it is necessary to save the mother’s life, and others will waive their prohibition in circumstances of rape or incest.
Most have stated that they will not bring charges against women who attempt to stop their pregnancies, saving the criminal penalties for those who try to assist women in getting abortions.
Abortion Status
Healthcare Dive has created a comprehensive map and interactive state tracker to understand quickly and better-evolving abortion legislation. The reader can sort the number of weeks into pregnancy after which abortion is banned, the type of abortion ban, and exceptions to abortion bans. The laws governing abortion in each state are also described.
Abortion laws are legal, illegal, or legal but await a ban. Legal status refers to states where abortion is permitted at any stage of pregnancy, as well as those where it is permitted up to 24 weeks. An unlawful status means an abortion ban is currently in effect before the fetal viability line established by Roe v. Wade or around 24 weeks of pregnancy. Any state that outlaws abortion before 24 weeks of pregnancy, whether completely, after six weeks, at 15 weeks, or for other reasons, is therefore considered to have done so illegally.
States with Laws Protecting the Right to an Abortion
In Utah, one of the first states to ban all abortions, the abortion ban went into force on June 24.
Most abortions are banned in Ohio with the first audible fetal heartbeat.
By making abortions illegal at any stage of pregnancy, including for rape and incest victims, Alabama soon ended abortions. A fine of up to $100,000 and up to 10 years in jail are possible penalties for breaking the law. The mother’s health is the only reason for an exception.
The only abortion facility in West Virginia stopped providing abortions. Abortion provision is illegal in the state and is punishable by a three- to a ten-year prison term.
An abortion prohibition was immediately enacted in Missouri, except for “cases of medical exigency.”
Abortion clinics temporarily ceased performing abortions in various states, including Arizona and Texas, while investigating whether they could continue.
All three Democratic governors of California, Washington, and Oregon have committed to upholding women’s right to an abortion and supporting those who travel to the west coast from other states.
According to data by The Associated Press, the decision is anticipated to have a negative impact on minority women who already have no access to healthcare.
Additionally, it puts the court at odds with the vast majority of Americans who, according to polls, supported upholding Roe.
Most respondents to surveys by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and other organizations have stated that abortion should be permitted in all or most situations. However, a lot of people favor limitations, particularly later in pregnancy. According to surveys, approximately one in ten Americans want abortion to be prohibited in all circumstances.
