Repro Roundup: Mississippi AG asks SCOTUS to review its 15-week abortion ban, a case that could overturn Roe

Welcome to my column, The Repro Roundup, in which I summarize abortion news happening around the country, why it matters, and what you can do about it — in 250 words or less.

What’s the issue? The Attorney General for Mississippi petitioned the Supreme Court to review the state’s 15-week abortion ban on Thursday, according to a CBS report. The ban is one of the strictest in the country and has the potential to overturn the remaining protections of Roe, the 1973 case that federally legalized abortion. The petition came just hours after Senate Republicans on the Judiciary Committee voted to approve Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court.

Why does this matter? Given Barrett’s public record and refusal to answer any abortion-related questions during her hearing, it is very likely that as a Supreme Court justice, Barrett would vote against any abortion case. While Roe is certainly not the beacon of reproductive freedom we need it to be, it exists as a baseline for legality. While abortion should also be free, safe, affirming, and readily available, it must also be at the very least legal in all 50 states. This case opens the door for the possibility that the decision to keep abortion legal will fall to the states. Twenty four states have anti-abortion laws on the books that will automatically make abortion illegal should Roe fall.

What action can I take?

• Call your senators and demand they vote no to confirm Barrett to the Court using this script from NCJW
• Contact your senators and urge them to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would make abortion federally legal through the Legislature instead of the Judiciary, using this form from NCJW
• Learn more about WHPA with the Act for Women Campaign
• Clinic escort with We Engage, the org that supports the Pinkhouse Defenders, that supports Mississippi’s only abortion clinic
• Donate to the Mississippi Reproductive Freedom Fund, an abortion fund that helps finance costs related to abortion (including travel and childcare) for anyone in MS or anyone traveling to/from MS for care

• Subscribe to The Repro Queen of DC, my monthly newsletter on abortion access, activism, and writing on the frontlines of DC.
• Subscribe to Repro 101, a seven-week educational email series about all things repro. Topics include the basics of funding abortion, clinic escorting, anti-choice violence, and more.
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