The Consequences of the Impending Ruling on Roe v. Wade
By Leaana Khan
A&E Editor
On May 2nd, 2022, Politico obtained a leaked draft of a majority opinion from the Supreme Court written by Justice Samuel Alito that would overturn Roe v. Wade. Roe v. Wade established that a woman’s choice on whether to have an abortion was protected under the Fourteenth Amendment’ rights to privacy. Overturning the ruling from this forty-nine year old case will have dire consequences for those affected by the ruling and for the American political scene.
There are currently twenty-six states that are expected to restrict access to abortion if the ruling from Roe v. Wade is overturned. Many states even have “trigger laws” that will go into effect automatically if Roe v. Wade is overturned. When there isn’t safe access to this vital medical procedure, many women turn to less legitimate and more dangerous means of having abortions, such as the infamous coat hanger method. Banning abortions does not get rid of the need for them, it just denies women the medical care they need. Because of this, abortion clinics in neighboring states are preparing for an influx of patients coming in from states that ban abortion. California is even introducing legislation to cover costs for out of state residents that go to California to get an abortion. If more states follow suit, access to safe and affordable abortions will increase.
Continue reading