All Across America States Are Challenging Abortion Laws
The Supreme Court of the United States will hear an abortion case from Jackson Women’s Health Organization that could overturn the Roe v. Wade decision allowing women to terminate their pregnancy. Statistics from one pro-life organization shows since the 1973 ruling became law more than 62 million children in the womb have been eliminated. This number is still climbing.
In 2018, Mississippi passed a law to ban all abortions after 15 weeks, with exceptions for medical emergencies and significant fetus abnormalities. Lower courts blocked the ban, citing past Supreme Court rulings, and they now seek to further challenge “whether states are permitted to ban abortions before a fetus can survive outside the womb.” Proceedings are expected to begin sometime in fall 2021 and conclude in summer 2022.
This SCOTUS case was announced around the same time Texas Governor Greg Abbot signed a fetal heartbeat bill that criminalizes abortion procedures six weeks into pregnancy. The bill, set to become law in September this year, also “grants citizens the right to sue doctors who perform abortions past that point.” A Texas city also made headlines earlier this month when a majority vote was cast in favor of designating the territory a “Sanctuary City for the Unborn.”
Governor Abbot’s bill is causing concern among pro-choice advocates. The Center for Reproductive Rights said, “This bill essentially opens the floodgates to allow anyone who is hostile to abortion to sue doctors and clinics.” An open letter was also signed by 200 Texas physicians expressing concerns that “the law exposes doctors to the risks of ‘frivolous lawsuits that threaten our ability to provide healthcare.'”
According to Planned Parenthood’s most recent audited financial statement, total assets and liabilities for 2019 topped over $4.7 million. The 2019-2020 annual report shows “healthcare” services were provided to 2.4 million patients. Of that number, 395,000 unintended pregnancies were “averted by contraceptive services.” During the pandemic, the organization increased its push to aid homebound clients, offering tele-health appointments and counseling over digital platforms. Under the sex education section, a spotlight on global efforts shows 2.55 million people were reached through virtual learning sessions and video resources. One spotlight photo features the face of a smiling, pre-teen girl. {eoa}
For more than a decade, Tiffany Benson’s passion for writing has exceeded most of her interests. When she’s not catching up on politics or watching documentaries, she enjoys journaling, fiction and contributing to her blog: bigviewsmallwindow.com.
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