The Supreme Court struck down the precedent that allowed states to restrict abortion access.
The authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives, according to the court.
Justice Samuel Alito wrote the majority opinion in the case. The leaked ruling was published in May. Reports indicated at the time that Chief Justice John Roberts was in favor of a narrower approach to the case.
Conservatives won. Their ruling will allow states to impose strict abortion restrictions that will force some people to have abortions. In some states, victims of rape and incest will have to deal with traumas of birth, parenthood, and adoption. Babies are born with health conditions that can quickly lead to death. People who don't want to have children will have to have them anyways.
The ruling does not end the right to abortion completely. Some states have vowed to protect abortion access, and will likely become a safe haven for those who can't afford the procedure. There are 22 states that already have laws that limit abortion. Most states only ban abortion after a certain point in a pregnant woman's life.
Sometimes that isn't the case. If the life of the pregnant person was in danger or a rape had been reported to law enforcement, Oklahoma's GOP-controlled legislature passed a bill prohibiting all abortions. Republicans are pushing abortion restrictions that do not allow exceptions for rape or incest victims.
Efforts to codify abortion rights have been unsuccessful. The bill to codify abortion was blocked. District lines and electoral laws give the GOP an electoral advantage.
Protesters in support of abortion rights gather outside the Supreme Court in May.
Most of the conservatives on the Supreme Court were nominated by presidents who won the election. Despite receiving less votes than his opponent, former President Donald Trump nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court and the seat was left open for months, against the norm, by Republican senators.
Supporters of abortion rights are facing a lot of obstacles. A number of advocacy groups were already planning in the event of a reversal of the Wade decision.
The Senate has a rule that requires 60 votes for most legislation and allows the minority party to block bills if they don't have enough support. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona are two Senate Democrats who do not support ending the filibuster. Democrats only have 49 votes for codifying abortion. Manchin was the one who voted to block the bill.
Many groups are raising money to travel to and care for people seeking abortions in states where the procedure is still legal.
Some people can take medication to end their pregnancies at home. Should state-level abortion bans go into effect, it is likely that more people will obtain the medication and manage their own abortions.
The article was first published on HuffPost.
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