Tuesday, October 05, 2004

Roe in the Next Four Years



If Bush gets reselected, what will happen to Roe vs. Wade? It will be overturned. Then states will decide if abortion remains legal or not:

Thirty states are poised to make abortion illegal within a year if the Supreme Court reversed its 1973 ruling establishing a woman's legal right to an abortion, an advocacy group said Tuesday.
The Center for Reproductive Rights said some states have old laws on the books that would be triggered by the overturning of the landmark Roe v. Wade decision. Others have language in their state constitutions or strongly anti-abortion legislatures that would act quickly if the federal protection for abortion was ended and the issue reverted to the states.
"The building blocks are already in place to recriminalize abortion," said Nancy Northup, the center's president.


These changes wouldn't have much effect on wealthy women's abilities to get an abortion, as they have the money to travel elsewhere. But they would certainly make poor women's lives even harder than they are today in states like Alabama, Arkansas, Wisconsin and Texas (just to pick some randomly).

Currently five Supreme Court Justices support Roe and four oppose it. So the next judge to be appointed could be a crucial one for this issue. Bush would definitely find judges that are extremely anti-choice, whereas there is at least some chance of a more neutral judge under Kerry. So vote.