The U.S. Supreme Court has struck down the 1973 ruling of Roe v. Wade, effectively ending constitutional protections of abortion rights. This comes after the May 2, 2022, leak of a draft decision document signaling Friday’s outcome.
The conservative majority Supreme Court voted 6-3 to overturn the ruling, making abortion access and restrictions a state issue. Justice Samuel Alito wrote the 79-page decision.
“We hold that Roe and [Planned Parenthood v. Casey, 1992] must be overruled,” Alito said in the final opinion. “The Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision.”
Related:
Leaked Supreme Court draft reveals possibility of overturning Roe v. Wade
Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett joined Alito in the decision, with Chief Justice John Roberts also joining the majority. Dissenting opinions came from Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.
“With sorrow—for this Court, but more, for the many millions of American women who have today lost a fundamental constitutional protection—we dissent,” the dissenting Justices said in the document.
Several states, including Tennessee, Idaho and Texas, have trigger laws in effect, meaning state laws relating to abortion restrictions or bans will go into effect 30 days after the ruling. According to the Texas Tribune, Texas will ban abortion from the moment of conception, with few strict exceptions in place.
Kansans will vote on Aug. 2 to determine whether or not an amendment saying there is no right to abortion in the state constitution will be in place. Voters must register by July 12 to vote in the election.
