Roe Vs. Wade Overturned: 16 States, DC Will Still Protect Women's Right to Abortion Sans Supreme Court Policy

The U.S. Supreme Court laid down a landmark decision Friday, June 24, to overturn Roe vs. Wade, which has provided women the right to an abortion for nearly 50 years. The justices voted 5-4 in favor of overturning the policy and ruled that there would be no more federal constitutional protection for abortion.

The decision will now allow states to impose severe restrictions on this reproductive health issue. However, at least 16 states and the District of Columbia will still maintain a more liberal rule on medical procedures.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, the states that will remain pro-abortion are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the capital Washington, D.C. Four of these states will permit abortion throughout the pregnancy, while 12 will allow the procedure before the viability of the pregnancy, which is around the 23rd week.

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Enacting More Protection for Women

Amid leaks a few weeks ago indicating that Roe Vs. Wade could be overturned, lawmakers in pro-abortion states have proposed more amendments to their state constitutions to protect the women. Some lawmakers are working to enact laws that will also extend protection against the states that impose restrictive abortion laws, including the complete banning of the procedure.

In Connecticut, House Bill 5414 or the Reproductive Freedom Defense Act will include a "clawback" provision protecting locals from abortion lawsuits. For instance, a doctor who performed an abortion on a Texas woman, who traveled to his Connecticut clinic, can counter-sue if he is subjected to a lawsuit in Texas, where abortion laws are restrictive.

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said their state would be safe. Sen. Saud Anwar also said that Connecticut would become a refuge for many, per Hartford Courant. 

The governors in California, Massachusetts, Oregon, and Washington also reiterated their commitment to protect and defend access to abortion. Gov. Charlie Barker recently signed an order to ensure that providers in Massachusetts will be protected from legal persecution or loss of license if they help patients from out-of-state.

States Outlawing Abortion

Trigger bans took effect almost immediately after Roe Vs. Wade was overturned. At least 13 states have outlawed or will soon outlaw abortion, such as Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.

Justice Samuel Alto, who voted for the overturn, said in his ruling that the policy on abortion protection was "egregiously wrong from the start." However, the justices with dissenting opinions, such as Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen Breyer, and Elena Kagan, said that it's a time for sorrow for millions of women in America who have lost a "fundamental constitutional protection."

Pres. Joe Biden, on the other hand, stated that the lives and health of women in America "are now at risk," per CNN. The president called the decision a "tragic error" that will bear real consequences. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that the ruling is a slap on the face of American women. Even former Pres. Barack Obama criticized the decision.

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