Right after the Supreme Court’s historic ruling to overturn Roe, many states have already banned abortion as their trigger laws went into effect on Friday.
Some other states are expected to ban abortion within the next month as their officials move forward to certify the ruling.
Red States Move Forward to Ban Abortion
13 states of the country had trigger laws, which were present on the books without any enforcement, before the Supreme Court decision.
However, the Friday ruling changed the scenario as these laws go into effect, one after another.
Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, and South Dakota have already banned abortion. In these states, performing an abortion is now a felony, which can land both the practitioner and the woman in prison for several years.
Whoever performs an abortion in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma will be qualified for ten years in prison, while this punishment will be 15 years in Missouri.
Whereas women with medical emergencies, defined under the state law, will still be qualified to get abortions in almost every state.
Kentucky, which has a Democratic governor and a Republican-dominated legislature, has a law that will put people performing an abortion in jail for five years. The Democratic governor of the state, Andy Beshear, called the law “extremist.”
Meanwhile, Texas, Idaho, and Tennessee are likely to ban abortion within 30 days, as per the laws of these states.
Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming are states that have post-Roe laws in place, meaning state-wide abortion bans are effective immediately, within 30 days, or has a process.
— I’m at the beach. (@MyNamesTessa) June 24, 2022
Ohio, Georgia, Iowa, and South Carolina have six-week abortion bans, which are likely to be implemented soon.
Reportedly, abortion access will either be eliminated or severely restricted in at least 26 states.
Previously, many states were reluctant to make abortion laws just because they were not much effective in the presence of Roe.
However, after the verdict, different states are likely to increase their efforts as they see a favorable playing field going forward.
Democratic Governors Delaying Enforcement
States like Wisconsin and Michigan are now facing a murky situation, even in the presence of anti-abortion laws.
For instance, Democrats have the governorship and the attorney general offices in Wisconsin and Michigan. They are likely to delay abortion law enforcements.
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers already indicated that he will go to great lengths to protect people performing an abortion. According to him, he will use his clemency powers to release anyone jailed under abortion laws in the state.
Wisconsin Governor Evers says he will not appoint anyone as a district attorney who would enforce the state’s 1849 abortion ban. @GovEvers also says he will use his clemency powers to vacate prison sentences for anyone convicted under the law.#ProChoiceGovernorsMatter
— John Nichols (@NicholsUprising) June 24, 2022
However, all abortion clinics in the state suspended their services after the Supreme Court verdict.
In addition to that, the Arizona Republican governor asserted his state would start implementing a 15-week abortion ban in almost 90 days. Though state Republicans are pushing him to ban abortion completely in the state.
Despite the court’s verdict, the Biden administration is paving a new way for women in red states who want to perform abortions.
Attorney General Merrick Garland noted the Department of Justice would assist women who want to travel to different states to abort their children. He stated the “individual freedom” and “civil rights” of Americans would be protected by his department.
