Since the Supreme Court freed states to craft their own abortion laws, the rush has been to the fringes, not the center, as Republicans in red states move to impose restrictions and Democrats in blue states hustle to sweep them away.
The divide is stark. Less than a year after the high court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson, 13 states are enforcing laws that ban abortions except to save the mother’s life. Another four states have had similar laws blocked temporarily by courts, as shown on AbortionFinder.org’s state-by-state analysis.
After enacting or erasing restrictions, some states have gone further by reinforcing their stances. Mississippi enacted expanded tax credits for pro-life pregnancy centers and adoption. New York pledged $25 million to abortion providers. A Marist Poll for NPR/PBS released last month showed that 66% want abortion limited to the first trimester at most, while 22% said abortion should be allowed at any time. The survey also found 59% opposed and 40% in support of overturning Roe v. Wade.Translate the polls to policy, and the result would probably look a lot like North Carolina Senate Bill 20, which lowers the gestational limit for most abortions from 20 to 12 weeks.
Senate Republicans, irked at Mr. Graham for drawing attention to the issue, said the details should be left to the states. Outraged Senate Democrats flayed the bill as a “national abortion ban.” Democrats contend that the extremism lies with red states seeking to abolish abortion rights following the Dobbs decision.
New York could become even more abortion-friendly with a proposed constitutional amendment that bans discrimination based on “pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy.” The measure goes before the voters in 2024.