Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Here's What Could Happen If Roe V. Wade Is Overturned
The scene outside the U.S. Supreme Court late Monday.
(
Stefani Reynolds
/
AFP via Getty Images
)
Nearly one in four women in the U.S. are expected to get an abortion at some point in their lives, according to a 2017 study.
If Roe v. Wade is struck down, as a leaked draft memo from the Supreme Court suggests it could be, it will have a major impact in states across the country that have already signaled their intention to restrict or ban abortion.
According to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights, 58% of U.S. women of reproductive age – or 40 million women – live in states that are "hostile" to abortion.
Support for LAist comes from
The Supreme Court verified that the document published by Politico is authentic while noting that draft opinions can change before a final ruling. Chief Justice John Roberts has ordered an investigation into the leak.
The draft opinion overturning of Roe would not ban abortion nationwide but instead allow states to drastically restrict or even ban abortion, which advocates for reproductive rights say could have seismic consequences for the country.
Here's what a future without Roe v. Wade could mean:
- More than 20 states have laws that could restrict or ban abortion soon after the Supreme Court overturns Roe, according to Guttmacher. One type of statute, called a "trigger law," is designed to take effect after a Supreme Court ruling. Some states also still have pre-Roe abortion bans on the books that haven't been enforced. Other laws express the intent of states to crack down on abortion if permitted by the Supreme Court.
- States that continue to allow abortion could see an influx of patients seeking care. For example, after Texas enacted its roughly six-week ban on abortion last year, some residents began to get abortions out of state. In the final four months of last year, Planned Parenthood clinics in states near Texas reported a nearly 800% increase in abortion patients from Texas compared the same period in the prior year.
- Women of color will bear the brunt of further abortion restrictions. According to The Associated Press, Black and Hispanic women get abortions at higher rates than their peers. Women of color are also often poor and could have a harder time traveling out of state for an abortion, the AP said.
- Limits on abortion access can lead to negative long-term health effects. A major study from the University of California, San Francisco, found that women are harmed by being denied abortions. The women surveyed who gave birth had economic hardships that lasted for several years, were more likely to raise the child alone and were at higher risk of developing serious health problems than those who'd had abortions.
- Some blue states are already taking steps to enshrine the right to abortion in state law. From Colorado to New Jersey, Democratic governors have signed laws protecting reproductive rights and announced their intention to be able to provide abortion services to people who live in states where the procedure is restricted.
-
Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit npr.org.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake. -
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
Best of LAist