Following the US Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which eliminated a constitutional right to abortion nationwide, nearly two dozen US states have banned or limited access to the procedure. States with restricted abortion laws are experiencing higher rates of maternal and infant mortality, as well as increased economic insecurity.
Ten states had reproductive rights on the ballot in the November 2024 election. Voters in seven states approved measures expanding or safeguarding abortion access, including Arizona and Missouri, where citizens voted to overturn existing abortion bans. However, proposed protective measures in Florida, Nebraska, and South Dakota did not pass. Nebraska voters did approve enshrining the state’s current 12-week abortion ban in the state constitution.
The battle over abortion rights is intensifying in state legislatures and courts. The Georgia Supreme Court recently reinstated the state’s six-week abortion ban, which had been struck down by a lower court, pending further appeal. Conversely, a judge in North Dakota overturned the state’s near-total abortion ban, allowing abortions up to viability, despite the absence of any remaining clinics in the state.
In a significant development, the Supreme Court ruled to permit emergency abortions in Idaho temporarily. Additionally, the Court unanimously dismissed a lawsuit challenging the FDA’s regulation of mifepristone, the primary drug used in medication abortions. This decision ensures that the abortion pill can continue to be accessed by patients through mail without requiring an in-person doctor’s visit.
Legal challenges related to abortion access are being closely monitored as they progress through the courts. The evolving landscape of abortion rights in the United States underscores the ongoing debate and activism surrounding reproductive healthcare.
