What to know about Roe v. Wade being overturned.

By: Sophia Williams

May 20, 2022

POLITICO has recently obtained a draft opinion of the Supreme Court of the United States. “The Supreme Court has voted to strike down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, according to an initial draft majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito,” POLITICO said.

Badin Social Studies teacher Adam Schuckman has a very in depth perspective of the situation.

“A draft decision is not the same as an official decision,” Schuckman said. “A draft decision is essentially a rough draft of the reasoning of the court in a particular case. The draft is written by a chosen justice from the majority side.”

Currently, states have the power to regulate abortion within the federal decision of Roe v. Wade. The following rules protect the mother and the unborn depending on the stage of pregnancy:

1. “Within the first trimester the decision on the abortion bust be left to the medical judgement of the woman’s atending doctor and to the woman herself.

2. After the first trimester states may regulate abortion only through the means of regulating how and where the abortion can occur Ex. who can preform the abortion, what licensure they must have, where it can be preformed (hospitals, clinics, etc). These regulations are to be made for the welfare of the mother.

3. After viability the state is allowed to regulate and limit abortions only to cases where the health or life of the mother is in danger.”

Some states have trigger laws that would go into effect if Roe v. Wade was overturned. Trigger laws are regulations already in place that would prohibit or limit something, in this case, abortion. House Bill 598: Enact Human Life Protection Act is a trigger law in Ohio.