The United States Supreme Court's decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling is set to almost immediately remake how access to abortion looks in the country as several states move quickly to enforce the new restriction.
Prior to the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, there were already 22 states that had laws or constitutional amendments which could quickly be used to try to ban abortion as a result of the decision. The legislation include bans on abortion that were already in place in a number of states before the Supreme Court with its 1973 decision in Roe ruled that there was a constitutional right to abortion.
Which States Will Ban Abortion?
Several other areas have so-called trigger laws that would ban abortion in the event that Roe was overturned by the high court. Roughly a dozen states are expected to ban abortion after six weeks, a situation that abortion-rights advocates argue is effectively a ban on the procedure, as most people are unaware they are pregnant by that time, as per CNBC.
The states that have trigger laws are the following: Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. These regions will automatically ban abortion in the first and second trimesters following the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
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In South Dakota, the 2005 trigger law was enforced except to save the life of the mother and was written to take effect "on the date that states are recognized by the United States Supreme Court to have the authority to regulate or prohibit abortion at all stages of pregnancy.
According to CNET, Louisiana's 2006 trigger law bans all types of abortions except to prevent "substantial risk of death or permanent impairment under certain circumstances. On the other hand, Mississippi's trigger law bans all abortions except in cases of rape or to save the life of the mother.
Criminalizing Abortion
North Dakota's trigger law also makes providing an abortion a felony punishable by a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. But the most extreme state that bans abortion is considered to be Texas.
In addition to banning the termination of a pregnancy after six weeks, Texas has no exceptions for rape or incest and incentivizes residents to sue anyone who helps another person get an abortion and comes with a $10,000 reward if they win in court.
At least two other states attempted to have trigger laws, with Nebraska Republicans proposing in January a total abortion ban, which was defeated in a 31-15 vote. Other states that have abortion restrictions or bans include Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Michigan.
The situation comes as, on Friday, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said that he would be seeking to ban abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Many other states with abortion bans are expected to act quickly, with lawmakers moving to activate their dormant legislation.
Despite most state legislatures have already adjourned for the year, some governors have expressed an interest in convening a special session to pass additional anti-abortion legislation or remove anti-abortion laws already on the books. In other states, abortion access will depend on the midterm elections, the Washington Post reported.
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