The Supreme Court has ended constitutional protections for abortion that had been in place nearly 50 years in a decision by its conservative majority to overturn Roe v. Wade. Friday's outcome is expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states.The decision, unthinkable just a few years ago, was the culmination of decades of efforts by abortion opponents, made possible by an emboldened right side of the court that has been fortified by three appointees of former President Donald Trump.The ruling came more than a month after the stunning leak of a draft opinion by Justice Samuel Alito indicating the court was prepared to take this momentous step.It puts the court at odds with a majority of Americans who favored preserving Roe, according to opinion polls.Alito, in the final opinion issued Friday, wrote that Roe and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the 1992 decision that reaffirmed the right to abortion, were wrong the day they were decided and must be overturned.“We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled. The Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision,” Alito wrote.Authority to regulate abortion rests with the political branches, not the courts, Alito wrote.Many Republican-led state legislatures have already moved to limit abortion access and others are poised to enforce restrictive laws that have remained unenforced since Roe was passed. In total, an analysis by the Guttmacher Institute finds that 23 states have laws aiming to limit abortion access, including some states that have multiple provisions in place.States including Michigan, Wisconsin and West Virginia had abortion restrictions before the Roe ruling that have never been removed. Others have approved near-total bans or laws prohibiting abortion after a certain number of weeks — but many of them have been blocked by courts, including those in Alabama, Georgia, Iowa, Ohio and South Carolina.Legislators in 13 states have passed so-called "trigger laws," which are bans designed to go into effect if Roe is overturned. In some cases, the law requires an official such as an attorney general to certify that Roe has been struck down before the law can take effect.These are the states with "trigger laws" poised to go into effect almost immediately with Roe v. Wade overturned.ArkansasArkansas has a law on the books that would ban nearly all abortions in the event that Roe is overturned, except for in the case of a life-threatening medical emergency. A medical provider who violates the law could face up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $100,000 or both.Last year, a federal judge blocked another bill passed by state legislators which aimed to block nearly all abortions and made no exceptions for rape or incest.Arkansas' current abortion laws have been the subject of multiple lawsuits. That would change if the Supreme Court strikes down Roe v. Wade."If there's no constitutional right to abortion anymore there's no legal challenges," Jill Lens, a professor at the University of Arkansas School of Law, told sister station 40/29. "The only way to change the Arkansas law is to get the legislature to change it." IdahoIdaho's trigger ban would make providing abortions a felony punishable by up to five years in prison if Roe is struck down. Exceptions are provided to prevent the death of the pregnant person or in the case of rape or incest.In March, Idaho legislators passed a separate bill modeled after Texas' restrictive law, which prohibits abortion once fetal cardiac activity can be detected, which can happen as early as six weeks. The law also allows family members of the fetus to sue the medical provider who performed the procedure.The ban was temporarily blocked by the state Supreme Court last month after abortion providers challenged it in a lawsuit. KentuckyKentucky's legislature passed a bill in 2019 which would ban abortions and make performing them a felony offense if the Supreme Court overturns Roe. Very limited exceptions would be provided to prevent the death or serious injury of the person giving birth.LouisianaLouisiana has a law in place that would ban a medical provider from performing an abortion procedure or providing drugs intended to induce an abortion in the case that Roe is overturned. The ban would not apply to life-threatening or serious medical emergencies but requires the physician makes "reasonable medical efforts" to preserve the life of the adult and the fetus. MississippiMississippi law states that within 10 days of the state attorney general confirming Roe has been overturned, abortions are prohibited in the state. Limited exceptions are provided in cases of rape or when the procedure would preserve the mother's life.Mississippi passed a separate 15-week abortion ban in 2018, which is the source of the case currently in front of the Supreme Court. The court is expected to announce its decision in June, but a draft opinion revealed by Politico suggests a majority of the justices may be poised to strike down Roe. MissouriMissouri approved a law in 2019 that would make it a felony for medical providers to perform or induce an abortion except in cases of medical emergencies if Roe is struck down.North DakotaA law approved by the North Dakota legislature in 2007 would ban abortion and make it a felony to perform the procedure except in cases when it would save the life of the mother. The law would go into effect "as a result of new decisions by the Supreme Court of the United States" that would make the provision constitutional. OklahomaOklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill last month that would make performing abortions illegal in the state, only allowing exceptions to save the life of the pregnant person. The measure makes performing an abortion or attempting to perform one a felony punishable by a maximum fine of $100,000 or a maximum of 10 years in state prison, or both.A second bill signed into law last week sets a timeline for provisions to go into effect, depending on how the Supreme Court rules.On Tuesday, Stitt also signed a Texas-style abortion ban that prohibits abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy. The latest bill takes effect immediately with the governor’s signature, but abortion rights advocates already have challenged the new law in court. It’s not clear when the Oklahoma Supreme Court might issue a ruling in the case. The measure prohibits abortions once cardiac activity can be detected in an embryo. Experts say that’s typically about six weeks into pregnancy before many women know they are pregnant. Like Texas, the bill allows private citizens to sue abortion providers or anyone who helps a woman obtain an abortion for up to $10,000. The U.S. Supreme Court allowed a similar law in Texas to stand.South DakotaSouth Dakota has had a trigger ban on the books since 2005, when a law was passed to set up an almost outright ban on abortions in the event that Roe is overturned. The law would make it illegal to perform an abortion except in life-threatening medical emergencies and would become effective "on the date states are recognized by the United States Supreme Court to have the authority to prohibit abortion at all stages of pregnancy."TennesseeTennessee law contains a provision that would prohibit all abortions except those that would prevent the death of the mother and would go into effect 30 days after Roe is struck down. Medical providers could be charged with a felony for violating the law.TexasTexas' so-called trigger ban was signed into law in June 2021 and would make abortions illegal unless the pregnant person's life is threatened or they are at risk of serious injury. The law would go into effect 30 days after the Supreme Court issues a judgment overruling Roe. UtahUtah passed a law in May 2020 banning almost all abortions if Roe is overturned. Exceptions include cases of rape or incest, detection of severe birth defects, or prevention of the death or serious injury of the person giving birth. Performing an abortion in violation of the law is a second-degree felony. WyomingSigned into law last month, Wyoming's bill added a provision that would make it illegal to perform an abortion if Roe is overturned, with extremely limited exceptions for cases of sexual assault, incest, or the risk of death or severe injury to the person giving birth.The Associated Press and CNN contributed to this report.
The has ended constitutional protections for abortion that had been in place nearly 50 years in a decision by its conservative majority to overturn . Friday's outcome is expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states.
The decision, unthinkable just a few years ago, was the culmination of decades of efforts by abortion opponents, made possible by an emboldened right side of the court that has been fortified by three appointees of former President Donald Trump.
The ruling came more than a month after the stunning by Justice Samuel Alito indicating the court was prepared to take this momentous step.
It puts the court at odds with a majority of Americans who favored preserving Roe, according to opinion polls.
Alito, in the final opinion issued Friday, wrote that Roe and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the 1992 decision that reaffirmed the right to abortion, were wrong the day they were decided and must be overturned.
“We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled. The Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision,” Alito wrote.
Authority to regulate abortion rests with the political branches, not the courts, Alito wrote.
Many Republican-led state legislatures have already moved to limit abortion access and others are poised to enforce restrictive laws that have remained unenforced since Roe was passed. In total, an analysis by the finds that 23 states have laws aiming to limit abortion access, including some states that have multiple provisions in place.
States including Michigan, Wisconsin and West Virginia had abortion restrictions before the Roe ruling that have never been removed. Others have approved near-total bans or laws prohibiting abortion after a certain number of weeks — but many of them have been blocked by courts, including those in Alabama, Georgia, Iowa, Ohio and South Carolina.
Legislators in 13 states have passed so-called "trigger laws," which are bans designed to go into effect if Roe is overturned. In some cases, the law requires an official such as an attorney general to certify that Roe has been struck down before the law can take effect.
These are the states with "trigger laws" poised to go into effect almost immediately with Roe v. Wade overturned.
Arkansas
Arkansas has a law that would ban nearly all abortions in the event that Roe is overturned, except for in the case of a life-threatening medical emergency. A medical provider who violates the law could face up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $100,000 or both.
Last year, a federal judge blocked another bill passed by state legislators which aimed to block nearly all abortions and made no exceptions for rape or incest.
Arkansas' current abortion laws . That would change if the Supreme Court strikes down Roe v. Wade.
"If there's no constitutional right to abortion anymore there's no legal challenges," Jill Lens, a professor at the University of Arkansas School of Law, told . "The only way to change the Arkansas law is to get the legislature to change it."
Idaho
would make providing abortions a felony punishable by up to five years in prison if Roe is struck down. Exceptions are provided to prevent the death of the pregnant person or in the case of rape or incest.
In March, Idaho legislators passed a separate bill modeled after Texas' restrictive law, which prohibits abortion once fetal cardiac activity can be detected, which can happen as early as six weeks. The law also allows family members of the fetus to sue the medical provider who performed the procedure.
The ban was temporarily blocked by the state Supreme Court last month after abortion providers challenged it in a lawsuit.
Kentucky
Kentucky's legislature which would ban abortions and make performing them a felony offense if the Supreme Court overturns Roe. Very limited exceptions would be provided to prevent the death or serious injury of the person giving birth.
Louisiana
Louisiana has that would ban a medical provider from performing an abortion procedure or providing drugs intended to induce an abortion in the case that Roe is overturned. The ban would not apply to life-threatening or serious medical emergencies but requires the physician makes "reasonable medical efforts" to preserve the life of the adult and the fetus.
Mississippi
Mississippi law states that within 10 days of the state attorney general confirming Roe has been overturned, in the state. Limited exceptions are provided in cases of rape or when the procedure would preserve the mother's life.
Mississippi passed a separate 15-week abortion ban in 2018, which is the source of the case currently in front of the Supreme Court. The court is expected to announce its decision in June, but a draft opinion revealed by Politico suggests a majority of the justices may be poised to strike down Roe.
Missouri
Missouri approved a law in 2019 that for medical providers to perform or induce an abortion except in cases of medical emergencies if Roe is struck down.
North Dakota
A law approved by the North Dakota legislature in 2007 and make it a felony to perform the procedure except in cases when it would save the life of the mother. The law would go into effect "as a result of new decisions by the Supreme Court of the United States" that would make the provision constitutional.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill last month that would make performing abortions illegal in the state, only allowing exceptions to save the life of the pregnant person. The measure makes performing an abortion or attempting to perform one a felony punishable by a maximum fine of $100,000 or a maximum of 10 years in state prison, or both.
A second bill signed into law last week sets a timeline for provisions to go into effect, depending on how the Supreme Court rules.
On Tuesday, Stitt also signed a Texas-style abortion ban that prohibits abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy. The latest bill takes effect immediately with the governor’s signature, but abortion rights advocates already have challenged the new law in court. It’s not clear when the Oklahoma Supreme Court might issue a ruling in the case.
The measure prohibits abortions once cardiac activity can be detected in an embryo. Experts say that’s typically about six weeks into pregnancy before many women know they are pregnant. Like Texas, the bill allows private citizens to sue abortion providers or anyone who helps a woman obtain an abortion for up to $10,000. The U.S. Supreme Court allowed a similar law in Texas to stand.
South Dakota
South Dakota has had a trigger ban on the books since 2005, when a law was passed to set up an almost outright ban on abortions in the event that Roe is overturned. would make it illegal to perform an abortion except in life-threatening medical emergencies and would become effective "on the date states are recognized by the United States Supreme Court to have the authority to prohibit abortion at all stages of pregnancy."
Tennessee
Tennessee law that would prohibit all abortions except those that would prevent the death of the mother and would go into effect 30 days after Roe is struck down. Medical providers could be charged with a felony for violating the law.
Texas
Texas' was signed into law in June 2021 and would make abortions illegal unless the pregnant person's life is threatened or they are at risk of serious injury. The law would go into effect 30 days after the Supreme Court issues a judgment overruling Roe.
Utah
Utah in May 2020 banning almost all abortions if Roe is overturned. Exceptions include cases of rape or incest, detection of severe birth defects, or prevention of the death or serious injury of the person giving birth. Performing an abortion in violation of the law is a second-degree felony.
Wyoming
Signed into law last month, added a provision that would make it illegal to perform an abortion if Roe is overturned, with extremely limited exceptions for cases of sexual assault, incest, or the risk of death or severe injury to the person giving birth.
The Associated Press and CNN contributed to this report.