Six states are preparing to follow the lead of Texas and Mississippi in passing legislation further restricting abortion. As the Supreme Court decision regarding Mississippi’s law looms in the background, these states are taking action that will be certain to bring the abortion debate further into the forefront of the political landscape.
The Washington Examiner reported:
Republican-majority states have been emboldened by signals that the Supreme Court will issue a ruling in June that essentially overturns the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which legalized abortion nationwide. The case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization , poses the question of whether states can ban abortion before viability, the point at which survival is possible outside the womb — commonly estimated to be between 22 and 24 weeks of pregnancy. Justices held oral arguments in December, with the majority-conservative court signaling willingness to uphold the Mississippi law, possibly delivering a death blow to the precedent set by the Roe ruling.
Florida’s legislature passed a bill on Thursday evening that would move the deadline for legal abortions from 24 weeks to 15 weeks. This would be similar to how Mississippi currently approaches the issue. It would “only allow for exceptions in the cases of fetal abnormalities or extreme danger to the life of the mother,” according to The Washington Examiner.
South Dakota’s legislature passed a measure on Wednesday proposed by Gov. Kristi Noem that would require women who wish to obtain abortion pills to first see a physician three different times before they could have the procedure. A federal judge previously struck down a state health department rule with the same requirement.
Currently, women in South Dakota must take the first of two drugs while a doctor is present, but can take the second dose one or two days after at home. They are required to see a physician afterward for a follow-up.
In Oklahoma, there are several different anti-abortion bills making their way through the state legislature. From The Washington Examiner:
The state House Committee on Public Health advanced a total abortion ban on Wednesday that would implement an enforcement mechanism similar to that of Texas. Last month, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee agreed on party lines to advance five anti-abortion bills to the full floor for a vote. Among those was a ban on abortions once a heartbeat is detected with the same enforcement tool as the Texas law. Another bill called for a ballot measure to amend the Oklahoma Constitution to stipulate that there is no guaranteed right to an abortion enshrined in the document.
Idaho is also advancing a measure that mirrors Texas’ heartbeat bill. In this case, exceptions would be made for cases of rape or incest. “It would also open the door for an abortion provider to be sued by a patient, the unborn child’s father, grandparents, siblings, aunts, or uncles up to four years after the abortion is performed or attempted,” according to The Examiner.
Wyoming’s House on Wednesday passed legislation referred to as a “trigger” law. This means that if the proposal is passed in the state Senate, it would employ an outright ban on abortion if the Supreme Court rules to uphold Mississippi’s law. While it does not make exceptions for cases of rape and incest, it does allow for exceptions if there is a danger to the life of the mother or risk of “irreversible physical impairment.”
In Kentucky, the House voted on Wednesday to ban the prescribing of abortion pills using telemedicine. If passed in the state Senate, those seeking this procedure would have to visit a doctor in person, and providers would not be allowed to ship pills by mail.
It seems that in each of these states, anti-abortion legislation is expected to pass both chambers of each state legislature. When this happens, there can be no doubt the Democrats will use this as a wedge issue to persuade voters not to give control of Congress to the GOP. The Supreme Court is expected to issue its ruling on Mississippi’s law in June, which could further exacerbate the matter.
Given that the Democrats do not have much on which to run for November’s midterms, the abortion issue might just give them something they can use to appeal to more voters. Even if it does not ensure that they remain in control of the House and Senate, it could help to mitigate the damage the party will sustain. Even beyond that, it could carry on into the 2024 presidential election now that the pro-abortion crowd has seen how much it cost them to allow former President Donald Trump to appoint three new justices to the Supreme Court.
These developments could be a significant win for the pro-life crowd. But it is also going to come with a fervent backlash from the pro-abortion folks. The question is: Who is winning the battle in the culture?
