Half of US states are expected to ban or limit abortion after the US Supreme Court overruled the infamous 1973 ruling that imposed abortion throughout the nation. Abortion will now be limited or banned outright, except in rare cases. SPUC has hailed the outcome as a “stunning turnaround for the unborn of America. All pro-lifers can take inspiration from this.”
In total, abortion is set to be drastically reduced in 26 US states, just over half of the total of states in the nation. Here are the numbers.
13 US states have “trigger bans” set to ban abortion within 30 days of last Friday’s ruling. These states are Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.
In some of these states, abortion may still take place in rare circumstances. For example, Utah has banned abortion except in cases of rape, incest, a fetus abnormality said to be lethal, or when the mother’s life is deemed to be in danger.
Five other states that are expected to pass near-total bans on abortion are Alabama, Georgia, Iowa, South Carolina and Ohio, all of which previously tried to pass bans that were later struck down by the courts.
Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, West Virginia and Wisconsin are also expected to pass bans or limit abortion. Two of these states, Arizona and Florida, have already set limits on abortion of 15 weeks, due to come into effect within the next few months.
The state of Mississippi, whose case it was that led to the Supreme Court ruling last Friday – initially seeking to limit abortion to 15 weeks, in the case of Dobbs vs Jackson Women’s Health Organisation – has a 2007 trigger law that now bans abortion except in cases of rape or danger to the mother’s life.
Millions of lives will be saved
SPUC’s Michael Robinson, Executive Director (Public Affairs and Legal Services), said: “Potentially millions of babies will now go on to live fully-fledged lives because of the repeal of Roe vs Wade. This is a stunning turnaround for the unborn of America. All pro-lifers can take inspiration from this victory.
“The overturning of Roe vs Wade means that each US state may now make its own choice of abortion laws, a choice that was previously denied to them by Roe vs Wade, preventing pro-life states from restricting or banning abortion.
“Pro-abortion advocates have insisted that the abortion debate is over. But clearly, it is not. For decades they repressed it through Roe vs Wade – but American pro-lifers never gave up fighting for the right to life of the unborn. Finally, they have dealt abortion a profound blow. This is an example we can follow and take heart in.
“At last, apologists for abortion must argue their case democratically and accept the will of pro-life states. Pro-abortion activists are clearly shaken by this, as SPUC has reported. They realise that they are losing their power to manipulate the abortion narrative.”