The U.S. Supreme Court ruled today on a case that effectively would overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision on abortion rights, banning abortions in Texas.
The case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, discusses if Mississippi could ban abortions after 1 5 weeks of pregnancy. A leaked brief in May signaled most justices were in favor of Mississippi’s ban, and shifting the power to legislate abortions back to individual states. The finalized ruling discusses that Roe v. Wade should be overruled, and recommends turning the power to weigh abortion arguments "to the people and their elected representatives."
Texas is one of 26 states that has laws in place if Roe v. Wade is overturned that would ban abortions, according to a study by the Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit research organization on reproductive health. Surrounding states Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana also have near-total bans in place if Roe is overturned.
Texas already banned abortions around six weeks back in September 2021 when SB 8 went into effect, which also allowed private citizens to sue anyone helping a person access abortion care. Thousands of Texans went out of state to get abortions since then, with clinicians in Texas helping to connect patients with services. The Supreme Court decision with Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization means all Texans seeking abortions will have to travel hundreds of miles to neighboring states like New Mexico.
The story will be updated throughout the day.
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