Republicans who thought overturning Roe was a practical win couldn’t envision just how much of a political loser it would turn out to be.
It’s nearly two years since the conservative Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the decision that had protected access to abortion for nearly 50 years, sparking a seismic series of events in American political history.
And if overturning Roe was indeed an earthquake, the aftershocks have been never-ending, although a unanimous court did prudently pull back this week from banning the abortion pill.
Dobbs vs. Jackson, the 2022 case that allowed states to ban or limit abortion in unprecedented — and unpopular — ways, also opened the door to countless other conversations and legislative actions that have upended women’s reproductive rights for multiple generations.
Would essentially kicking the issue to the states mean one could just vote to ban it completely? Yes, yes it did. Abortion is now banned in almost all circumstances in 14 states.
Would women who got abortions be thrown in jail? Some state lawmakers said enthusiastically, “yes!” and others have tried arresting women. Former President Donald Trump has said he’s open to punishing women.
Would doctors and anyone else who aided in the procurement of an illegal abortion be prosecuted or punished? Yes, in some cases.
Is contraception safe from the grasp of far-right judges and lawmakers? Not if you talk to Senate Republicans.
What about IVF — in vitro fertilization — a practice millions of women use to get pregnant, and one that 86% of Americans want to be kept legal? That’s also in the crosshairs as states like Alabama decided that destroying unused embryos was murder.
