Stay up to date with our Politics newsletter, sent weekly.It's been four years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v.Wade, ending the constitutional right to abortion."Roe was egregiously wrong from the start," Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the Dobbs v.
Jackson Women's Health majority opinion on June 24, 2022."And far from bringing about a national settlement of the abortion issue, Roe and [Planned Parenthood v.] Casey have enflamed debate and deepened division."Reversing Roe didn't calm debate or heal division.
A confusing patchwork of state laws began to take shape hours after the Supreme Court ruled — which was, perhaps, predictable.States had passed "trigger laws," ready to restrict abortion as soon as the high court allowed.But other developments have been surprising, including the role of the internet and the mail in increasing access to abortion, even in those very same states.
This year, voters will again consider ballot measures to protect or restrict abortion access across the country.Dramatic stories of medical care denied to pregnant patients continue to unfold across the country.Here are four things to know about the state of abortion access in America today.You might have guessed that when more than a dozen states banned abortion, there would be fewer abortions happening in those states and that the overall number of abortions would go down.That's not what has happened.
The number of abortions nationally has increased each year since the national right to abortion was overturned.Part of the reason is that access has become easier in states that support abortion.Policy changes have allowed more residents of those states to have abortion access without barriers like waiting periods or parental permission requirements.
These lowered barriers have helped people who live in restrictive states to travel for care."Shield laws" have also emerged as a major force in the abortion access landscape.States that support abortion access have created legal ...