As the nation prepares for the upcoming 2024 elections, the consequences of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson continues to be a significant topic of discussion in numerous states. Since that decision and our first and second posts in this series, a number of noteworthy developments* have occurred at both the federal and state levels, including some states passing laws that prohibit or restrict the availability of abortions. Some of the most recent legal developments are summarized below. Continue Reading Part 3: An Update on the Federal and State E-Roe-sion or P-Roe-tection of Abortion Rights

On June 24, 2022, the United States Supreme Court issued its opinion on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, No. 19-1392 (2022), holding that the United States Constitution provides no basis for a right to abortion. In its opinion, the Court further states that the right to abortion is not in the text of the Constitution, not a part of this nation’s fundamental history or concept of ordered liberty, that abortion restrictions are subject to rational basis review, and that the authority to regulate abortions lies with the 50 individual states. This decision, which is consistent with the draft opinion leaked in May, overrules both Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992), which have served as precedent on abortion issues and rights for the past 50 years.Continue Reading Supreme Court Decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Overturns 50 Years of Precedent on Abortion Laws and Rights