(ABC4) – It seems each state recently has been confronted with whether to invoke more restrictions or more access to abortions. The question regarding the iconic case of Roe v. Wade has now divided America.
Just today, April 14, Florida signed into law a ban on abortions after 15 weeks gestation. The law is set to take effect in July. The same law went into effect yesterday for residents of Kentucky. The law was also introduced in Louisiana and Mississippi but was blocked by votes. The 15-week abortion ban, however, did pass in Arizona and West Virginia.
Meanwhile, states like Maryland have tried to increase access to abortions by expanding the number of health care professionals who are qualified to perform abortions.
One of the most controversial proposals is the 6-week ban which would ban abortions after 6 weeks gestation. The main argument for this proposal is that most people do not know they’re pregnant before 6 weeks.
Texas has this 6-week ban in place currently. Idaho recently signed this same ban into law which would take effect on April 22 but is currently temporarily blocked by the courts. Other states that have introduced this same ban include:
Oklahoma
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
Florida
Louisiana
Maryland
Minnesota
Missouri
Ohio
Tennessee
Wisconsin
The 6-week ban has not gone into law yet for any of these states currently.
Currently states cannot outright ban abortions completely due to Roe v. Wade. If this case were to be overturned this summer by the Supreme Court, then 18 states would immediately take a complete ban on abortions.
These are called “trigger bans” meaning a complete ban on abortions will be triggered as soon as Roe v. Wade is overturned. The states that have these “trigger bans” are:
Utah
Idaho
Wyoming
North Dakota
South Dakota
Missouri
Arkansas
Oklahoma
Texas
Louisiana
Mississippi
Tennessee
Kentucky
Other states are currently considering these trigger bans such as Oklahoma, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio, and South Carolina.
Whatever the Supreme Court will decide on abortion laws will be a historic moment. Meanwhile, states will continue to change and adjust their policies on their own.
