The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on Mississippi's abortion law is still two months away, but states are already jockeying for position on the issue. The Texas heartbeat law has survived all court challenges so far, and continues to have an impact. Florida has passed a heartbeat law similar to the one in Texas, while Oklahoma passed a law to ban abortion after six weeks of pregnancy. Now, some blue states like Colorado and Washington are passing pro-abortion laws, welcoming women from states like Texas and Florida.
All of this comes as we await the Supreme Court ruling on the Mississippi case, expected in late June. Pro-life advocates believe there is a good chance the high court will finally overturn the 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision, which legalized abortion in the U.S.
As for what will the court will do, that remains anybody's guess. "The Supreme Court might simply overrule Roe v. Wade, which would give states like Texas almost absolute power to ban abortion," says Josh Blackman, professor at South Texas College of Law-Houston. "The court may say Mississippi's 15-week ban is valid, but only certain other measures are permissible, which could lead to a lot more litigation."
"Or the Supreme Court could simply say we're not doing a thing, and we're going to leave the law as it is."
Whatever the court decides, Blackman warns it likely won't be the cut-and-dry outcome many are hoping for. "Even if the court overrules Roe v. Wade, that will still leave lingering questions for states like Texas that want to ban abortion," he tells KTRH. "For example, could Texas make it a crime to pay for a person to leave the state and get an abortion elsewhere?"
"There will be legal disputes about abortion no matter what happens, but a lot will be more clear at the end of June."
Photo: AFP