13 States Have Pro-life Trigger Laws If Roe Overturned

Legislators in 13 states have passed laws to limit or restrict access to abortion that would go into effect if Roe v. Wade is overturned, CNN reported.

In some cases, the law requires an official. such as an attorney general, to certify that Roe has been struck down before the law can take effect, CNN reported.

Politico, citing a leaked opinion concerning a Mississippi case, reported Monday that the Supreme Court was ready to strike down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion.

Some blue state legislatures have enacted policies to increase abortion access. California passed a law in March to eliminate out-of-pocket costs for abortion services covered by health plans, and Colorado codified the right to receive an abortion in the state.

An analysis by the Guttmacher Institute found that 26 states have laws indicating that they intend to ban abortions, CNN reported.

Michigan, Wisconsin, and West Virginia are among nine states that had abortion restrictions before the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling. Those restrictions never were removed.

Alabama, Georgia, Iowa, Ohio, and South Carolina are among states that have approved near-total bans or laws prohibiting abortion after a certain number of weeks, though many of them have been blocked by courts.

Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming are states with "trigger laws" ready to go into effect almost immediately if Roe v. Wade is overturned.

Mississippi in 2018 passed a separate 15-week abortion bah, which is the source of the case currently before the Supreme Court.

The trigger laws include:

• An Arkansas law banning nearly all abortions, and allowing for up to 10 years in prison and/or up to a $100,000 fine for medical providers who violate the law.
• An Idaho law that would make providing abortions (with exceptions to prevent the death of the pregnant person or in the case of rape or incest) a felony punishable by up to five years in prison.
• A Louisiana law that would ban a medical provider from performing an abortion procedure or providing drugs intended to induce an abortion. Exceptions include life-threatening or serious medical emergencies, but requires the physician to make "reasonable medical efforts" to preserve the life of the adult and the fetus.
• A Tennessee law that would prohibit all abortions except those that would prevent the death of the mother, and would go into effect 30 days after Roe is struck down.
• A Wyoming law that bans abortions and has extremely limited exceptions for cases of sexual assault, incest, or the risk of death or severe injury to the person giving birth.

• Dershowitz: 'There's Never Been a Leak Like This'
• Sen. Sanders Demands Congress Immediately Pass Law Codifying Roe v Wade