Well, They Did It. The Supreme Court Just Overturned Roe v. Wade

It’s been nearly two months since we saw a leaked draft of the Supreme Court decision in the case of Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Despite the public outcry, the nationwide protests, and even the opposition from Democratic lawmakers, we knew there was little chance any of the six ultra-conservative justices on the court would change the opinion they’d already laid down. Every day since has been excruciatingly nerve-wracking as we wait for the decision to be made official, but every day has also been important because it’s been one more day that people across the country still had access to safe and legal abortion services.

I know we’re all anxiously waiting for Dobbs and the mood is becoming “just get it over with.”

Every day they don’t release Dobbs, pregnant people can access care.

We want it released on the very last day.

I get it. You’re frustrated. but big picture.
Ok thanks for listening.

— ⚓️Imani Two-Kitchens Gandy⚓️ (@AngryBlackLady) June 23, 2022

Well, that day has come. The official decision has been handed down and we’ll be looking through it more closely but at first glance, it looks like not much has changed since the leaked draft. In a 5-4 decision, the court has upheld Dobbs, overturning existing constitutional abortion protections, including Roe v. Wade.

With Roe overturned, abortion is still legal in most states at the moment, although 13 states have trigger laws that will take effect soon. (In my own state of Missouri, our terrible attorney general waited mere minutes before signing an order implementing our abortion trigger ban.) Other states are likely to follow suit soon after. In about half the states in the country, abortion is legal and likely to remain that way.

INeedanA.com is a great resource for those seeking abortion care anywhere in the U.S., and there are amazing advocates doing essential work at abortion funds nationwide.

(image: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)