By: Hollie Hill
Supreme Court Ruling
On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court made the decision to overturn the original 1973 ruling of Roe v Wade. The ruling was a 5-4 vote, with the reasoning of “the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion”.
This ruling is one that can cause a waterfall of rulings behind it to potentially be overturned as well. With the reasoning of it being unconstitutional, the Supreme Court has the option to challenge other landmark cases such as Obergefell v. Hodges and Plessy v. Ferguson. This can change the course of laws in America drastically if they are also overturned.
People’s Reaction
On May 2nd, there was a poll released by Gallup providing an update on American’s views on abortion. About 35% of Americans believe that abortion should be legal under any circumstances, 50% believe that it should be legal under certain circumstances, 13% believe it should be illegal in all circumstances, and the other 2% had no opinion in the matter.
Many conservative states were quick to provide anti-abortion bills on June 24th, and soon after there were protests arising in cities across America. From the steps of the Supreme Court in Washington D.C. to Washington state, there were thousands of people demonstrating their frustrations with the decision as it passed.
Ms. Gloria Allred, who was protesting because she had an illegal abortion in the 1960s, said, “It did teach me a lesson: Abortion must be safe and legal and affordable,” Ms. Allred. (New York Post)
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Allito’s opinion on the decision, as documented in ‘Opinion of the Court’ reads: “Americans continue to hold passionate and widely divergent views on abortion, and state legislatures have acted accordingly. Some have recently enacted laws allowing abortion, with few restrictions, at all stages of pregnancy. Others have tightly restricted abortion beginning well before viability”. And in this case, 26 States have expressly asked this Court to overrule Roe and Casey to allow the States to regulate or prohibit pre-viability abortions. (Supreme Court website)
Biden’s Executive Order
President Biden signed an executive order on July 8th, 2022 that says he will protect access to reproductive healthcare services. He went in depth about four specific areas he would be working on in this order: medication abortion, emergency medical care, access to contraception, and volunteer lawyers.
Sources for The Effects of Overturning Roe v Wade in America
All Sides Headline Roundup
Opinion of the Court- Justice Samuel Alito’s View
Biden’s Executive Order Fact Sheet
Constitutional Rights
Picture from Fortune
Protests Roe v Wade NYP
APNORC Poll
Other Poll
Cover Photo Credit: KPCC
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