Parsing The Implications Of The High Court’s Most Recent Abortion Decision
Opinion writers offer thoughts on what's next in the abortion debate as well as how it dovetails with other states' policies and state court actions.
For the pro-life movement, the Supreme Court鈥檚 decision on Monday in two Texas abortion regulations was the most devastating defeat in decades. Representative Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican who is one of the movement鈥檚 most vocal supporters, described the decision as 鈥渢ragic,鈥 irrefutable proof of 鈥渢he incredibly high stakes the Supreme Court vacancy holds for the unborn child.鈥 The sting of the defeat in this case, Whole Woman鈥檚 Health v. Hellerstedt, is hard to overstate. (Mary Ziegler, 7/2)
Let鈥檚 be charitable and say that state officials do not lie when they say what they are doing 鈥 but are just being selective for purposes of persuasion. ... That鈥檚 why the sales pitch for 2013鈥檚 abortion restrictions emphasized women鈥檚 health. The Legislature passed a law that cut the number of abortions but camouflaged it as an effort to protect women seeking abortions. (Ross Ramsey, 7/5)
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday fired a warning shot in Ohio's direction by overturning a Texas anti-abortion law. That Texas law, and Ohio's abortion laws, aren't identical. But there are enough similarities that the Ohio General Assembly has some serious thinking to do. Otherwise, taxpayers will end up paying the tab for unnecessary, costly and likely futile lawsuits. (7/1)
Having served on the Kentucky Supreme Court and the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure, I find your editorial reveals a misunderstanding of the limitations and functions of appellate courts. The editorial characterizing as 鈥減reposterous鈥 a unanimous Court of Appeals decision reversing Fayette Circuit Judge Ernesto Scorsone鈥檚 March decision to allow an unlicensed abortion facility in Lexington to continue operating ignores the rule of law in favor of result-oriented political correctness. (J. William Graves, 7/1)