An Update on Roe v. Wade

By Cayla McKay '25
Thousands of protestors across the nation rallied in support of abortion rights this winter to mark the 50th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision. Activists gathered at state capitol buildings, public parks and memorial sites to protest the overturning of this landmark Supreme Court case. 

The Women's March, a protest series that began in 2017 following the inauguration of President Donald Trump, came together again for rallies against the Roe v. Wade decision. This January, cities across the country saw women, men and children of all ages fight for the constitutional right to an abortion.
Vice President Kamala Harris spoke at a planned parenthood event in Tallahassee, Florida, criticizing Florida Republicans for restrictions on abortion and rules that force healthcare providers “to risk going to jail just for doing their job.”
Vice President Harris referred to abortion-related bills that have been proposed since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the majority of which are designed to limit access to abortion. At least three dozen of around 300 bills in 40 states are aimed at medical personnel, proposing to punish doctors and nurses that perform abortions.
Currently, full abortion bans are in effect in 13 states and Georgia has a six-week ban in effect. Nearly half of all states, in which abortion remains legal, are expected to enact laws prohibiting abortion or creating limits on the procedure. 
A bill in Wyoming states that healthcare professionals who perform abortions or prescribe medication for abortions could face up to five years in prison. 
In Nebraska, where abortion is currently legal until 20 weeks post-fertilization, a newly proposed bill would effectively ban abortion after 6 weeks or if a physician can detect a heartbeat. It would also strip doctors of their medical licenses if they were to perform an abortion after identifying cardiac activity on an ultrasound or failing to provide an ultrasound before an abortion. 
In Iowa, a state with the same current abortion law as Nebraska, a new bill would prohibit the distribution of abortion pills, with a punishment of up to 10 years in jail. 
In over a dozen states, similar laws are already in place that ban abortions and punish doctors that perform abortions with prison and extreme fines, causing abortion providers to shut down in states with these bans. Doctors and hospitals have become more reluctant to provide abortions until a woman is sick enough to qualify for the legal exception that states that the procedure is allowed if her life is in danger. 
However, many states have added new protections to their abortion laws, with state legislatures proposing bills to support the procedure and the doctors who perform it. 
In Hawaii, a proposed bill would allow physician assistants to perform abortions, with another bill that would prevent doctors and patients from receiving out-of-state subpoenas and stop doctors who perform the procedure from losing their medical licenses. 
Similar bills have appeared across the nation, with one recently proposed in Vermont and another signed into law in Illinois. 
The legal debate primarily takes place in the highest court of each state, with abortion rights groups aiming to leverage rights granted in state constitutions to overturn bans on abortion. 
In January, South Carolina's Supreme Court ruled that the right to privacy protected in the State Constitution includes the right to an abortion, a decision that overturned the state's six-week abortion ban. Alternatively, on the same day, Idaho's Supreme Court announced an opposite ruling which stated that the State Constitution did not protect abortion rights and that the ban on abortion would remain. 
While the fight remains mainly in the court, women continue to take to the street to advocate for their right to an abortion. 
“This makes me worried for my future,” said sophomore Marissa Jacobs. “Women should live in a world where they don't have to fear that their rights will be taken away.”