Current:Home > ScamsWhat to know about abortion policy across the US heading into 2024 -WealthTrail Solutions
What to know about abortion policy across the US heading into 2024
View
Date:2025-04-12 06:20:50
Abortion is going to remain a major issue in politics, policy and the courts in the U.S. in 2024, even though most of the states that were expected to impose restrictions have already done so.
The abortion landscape has been in flux since the June 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade, which touched off a round of abortion policy changes and new litigation about them.
There are still looming ballot questions and court decisions. And lawmakers could tweak current abortion laws.
Here’s a look at what to know.
ABORTION WILL BE ON THE BALLOT IN 2024
Since Roe was overturned, abortion-related questions have been on the ballot in seven states – and the abortion rights side has prevailed on all of them.
Legislatures in the East Coast blue states of Maryland and New York have already put questions on the November 2024 ballot to amend the state constitutions to include rights regarding reproductive health care.
Both states already allow abortion through viability, which is generally considered to be about 24 weeks gestational age.
While those are the only states where ballot questions are a sure thing, they’re possible in several others.
There are pushes to add constitutional rights to abortion in Minnesota, Montana, Nevada and Virginia, where it’s legal in most cases already; and in Arizona, Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota, where heavier restrictions are in place.
In Missouri, where abortion is banned throughout pregnancy, there are dueling ballot measures to expand abortion access. One would bar the government from banning it during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy. Another, from moderate Republicans, would make it legal but for fewer weeks.
In Colorado, where abortion is legal in most cases, there are pushes for ballot measures both to enshrine abortion rights and to roll them back.
Lawmakers in Iowa, where abortion restrictions have been put on hold by a court, are pushing for an amendment that would clear the way for a ban. There could be a similar effort in Pennsylvania, where abortion is legal until viability.
AND IT’S STILL IN THE COURTS
For nearly 50 years, abortion legal questions were waged mostly in federal courts.
But the U.S. Supreme Court finding that there’s no national right to abortion directed the latest generation of legal battles over abortion mostly to state court.
Some of the big issues that are yet to be decided:
Women in Idaho, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas are suing over being denied abortion while facing harrowing pregnancy complications. The Texas Supreme Court heard arguments in a similar case in November, and this month it denied a woman’s request for an immediate abortion, finding that her life was not in danger, so she did qualify under the exceptions in state law.
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to take up the question of whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the abortion drug mifepristone was appropriate.
State courts are considering several challenges to abortion bans and restrictions, including in Iowa, Montana, Utah and Wyoming, where courts have blocked enforcement of the measures.
In Idaho, a federal judge in November blocked enforcement of the state’s first-in-the-nation “abortion trafficking” ban while courts sort out the constitutionality of the measure.
ABORTION COULD ALSO BE ON THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
Legislative sessions begin in January or February in most states, and there haven’t been many abortion-related bills filed yet.
But activists on both sides anticipate that bills will emerge.
Inrgid Duran, the legislative director at National Right to Life, said other states could pursue provisions like Idaho’s to make it illegal to transport a minor for an abortion without parental consent. Enforcement in Idaho is on hold.
She also said there could be more efforts to fund organizations, sometimes called crisis pregnancy centers, that seek to dissuade abortion, and more measures to clarify abortion definitions.
“The pro-life movement has faced challenges before and will continue to face challenges,” she said. “But it’s not going to deter us from continuing to do what is right by advocating for the vulnerable.”
Some conservative groups are also prioritizing providing more resources to support women during pregnancy and after birth, including with tax credits or grants to boost organizations that encourage women not to seek abortions.
Missouri lawmakers have introduced measures that would make it possible to file homicide charges against women who have abortions. Most major anti-abortion groups oppose that approach, which has been introduced in other states but never gained traction.
veryGood! (3)
Related
- Behind on your annual reading goal? Books under 200 pages to read before 2024 ends
- Powerball winning numbers for September 9: Jackpot rises to $121 million
- Beyoncé talks music, whiskey, family — and why no 'Cowboy Carter' visuals — in GQ
- Unbeatable Walmart Flash Deals: Save Up to 79% on Home Cleaning Essentials, Bedding, Kitchen Items & More
- Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'
- Ryan Seacrest debuts as new host of ‘Wheel of Fortune’
- Rachel Zoe and Husband Rodger Berman Break Up, Divorcing After 26 Years of Marriage
- What James Earl Jones had to say about love, respect and his extraordinary career
- Pregnant Kylie Kelce Shares Hilarious Question Her Daughter Asked Jason Kelce Amid Rising Fame
- 'Harry Potter' HBO TV series casting children for roles of Harry, Ron, Hermione
Ranking
- Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
- Dakota Johnson Thought Energy Drink Celsius Was, Um, a Vitamin—And the Result Is Chaos
- The US accuses Iran of sending Russia short-range ballistic missiles to use in Ukraine
- Heidi Klum Reveals Some of the Items Within Her “Sex Closet”
- Paige Bueckers vs. Hannah Hidalgo highlights women's basketball games to watch
- Fine Particulate Matter Air Pollutants, Known as PM2.5, Have Led to Disproportionately High Deaths Among Black Americans
- 4 people killed after plane crashes in Vermont woods; officials use drone to find aircraft
- Linkin Park's New Singer Emily Armstrong Responds to Criticism Over Danny Masterson Support
Recommendation
From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
Chipotle uses memes for inspiration in first-ever costume line with Spirit Halloween
Video captures big black bear's casual stroll across crowded California beach
Aaron Rodgers will make his return to the field for the Jets against the 49ers
Michigan lawmaker who was arrested in June loses reelection bid in Republican primary
Powerball winning numbers for September 9: Jackpot rises to $121 million
Johnny Gaudreau's Widow Meredith Shares She's Pregnant With Baby No. 3 After His Death
Jana Duggar Details Picking Out “Stunning” Dress and Venue for Wedding to Stephen Wissmann