(TargetLiberty.org) – The states continue to whittle away at the landmark Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade (1973) that legalized abortion in the United States. So far this year, various legislatures have introduced or passed more than 60 bills aimed at restricting abortions.
On Wednesday, the Iowa State Senate approved a constitutional amendment stating that Iowa law doesn’t “recognize, grant, or secure a right to an abortion” or to require the use of public funds to perform abortion procedures.
The state House passed the measure in January by a vote of 55 to 44. Subsequently, the Senate passed it 30 to 18 along party lines. Republican legislators hope to put the amendment on the 2024 ballot. Iowa’s Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds plays no role in the approval process for state constitutional amendments.
Iowa joins other states like Montana and South Carolina who have felt emboldened to introduce new bills limiting abortion in hopes of the case reaching the Supreme Court.
The US Supreme Court to Weigh-in on Abortion This Year
On Monday, May 17, the Supreme Court agreed to hear Dobbs v. Jackson, a Mississippi abortion case. The case involves a law that bans abortion after 15 weeks, except in the event of a medical emergency or if the fetus has severe abnormalities. The statute doesn’t provide exceptions for cases involving incest or rape as the cause of pregnancies.
If the Court rules in favor of Mississippi, it will force several states to overhaul their existing abortion laws. Prior precedent held that women could have an abortion up until such a time when a baby can survive on its own outside the womb. Mississippi’s law shaves 10 weeks from that time frame.
After spending nearly 50 years fighting to protect the rights of the unborn, pro-life supporters see the light at the end of the tunnel with the recent shift of power in the Supreme Court. Six of the current justices on the court have been appointed by Republican presidents while only three have been appointed by Democrats.
Copyright 2021, TargetLiberty.org
