Pro-life movement gains ground in changing abortion scene.

States Across the Country Continue to Debate Abortion Laws

It’s been nearly a year since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and states are still grappling with where they stand on the issue of abortion. This week, the trend seems to be leaning towards increased protections for the unborn.

Recent Developments

• South Carolina’s Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed a bill that would ban most abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, typically around six weeks into a pregnancy.
• North Carolina’s Republican legislators overrode Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of a law that will ban most abortions in the state after 12 weeks and impose new restrictions on chemical abortions beginning July 1.
• Nebraska’s legislature voted to move forward with incorporating a 12-week abortion ban into a bill banning sex-change operations for minors.

These victories for the pro-life movement build upon other recent moves across the country to restrict access to abortion. Montana’s Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a spate of bills earlier this month aimed at tightening restrictions on the procedure, including a ban on abortions after 24 weeks, save when the mother’s life is at risk. Additionally, Florida passed a six-week abortion ban, but that law will only take effect if the state’s current 15-week ban is upheld by the Florida Supreme Court. Meanwhile, a near-total abortion ban remains in effect in Kentucky as litigation over the law plays out, while other restrictions in Indiana, Ohio, and Iowa are tied up in court.

Abortion Pill in Limbo

While many states have cracked down on the legality of abortion in general, chemical abortion has faced heightened scrutiny in recent months as the FDA’s approval of the abortion drug mifepristone has been called into question. In November, a group of doctors and medical associations sued the FDA, arguing that the agency unlawfully rushed its approval of the abortion pill without adequately reviewing its safety. Last month, a federal judge sided with those medical professionals, finding that the FDA should not have approved the drug and that the agency improperly lifted restrictions for its use. That ruling has been appealed by the Department of Justice.

Erin Hawley, vice president of the Center for Life and regulatory practice at Alliance Defending Freedom, said the FDA should be held accountable for injuries women had sustained from taking mifepristone. “The FDA must answer for the damage it has caused to the health of countless women and girls and the rule of law by failing to study how dangerous the chemical abortion drug regimen is and unlawfully removing every meaningful safeguard, even allowing for mail-order abortions,” argued Hawley, who represents the doctors in the lawsuit, at a press conference. “These illegal actions do not reflect ‘scientific’ judgment but rather reveal politically driven decisions.”

The debate over abortion laws continues, with pro-life leaders building a culture of life, protecting unborn children, and providing vital support for moms and families. Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser notes that they’re making childcare more accessible, increasing access to postpartum medical care, and creating paternity leave, educational support, and funding for pregnancy centers on the frontline helping mothers. And they’re not done yet, as her organization will also be advocating for a federal abortion ban.