What Happens if Roe v. Wade is Overturned?

Abortion might become illegal in the entire midwest, except three states. Illinois is one of the three.

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Jona Padua, Staff Writer

If Roe v. Wade is overturned, all states bordering Illinois will most likely ban abortions if not already banned previously. This creates a wider divide between those who are anti-abortion versus those who are for abortion rights, therefore creating a potential for larger scale protests depending on the outcome. This also causes an influx of patients from neighboring states to visit clinics in Illinois to gain access to abortions that were otherwise restricted.

Roe v. Wade, in essence, is a Supreme Court case that helped protect the right to have an abortion without the state imposing regulations unless it is directly related to maternal health or the person is in her third trimester of pregnancy. However, the Mississippi abortion law has challenged the Roe v. Wade case that has held as a precedent for almost five decades. It is currently being reviewed by the Supreme Court. The Mississippi law makes abortions illegal after 15 weeks of pregnancy, which is two months earlier than Roe. 

Roe is suspected to be overturned because of the conservative majority in the Supreme Court. If it is overturned, it is believed that 26 states are likely to ban abortions. States like Iowa and Ohio are expected to implement a ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy. There are also states, such as Missouri, who put so-called “trigger bans” in place, according to Elizabeth Nash and Lauren Cross from The Guttmacher Institute. If Roe no longer applies, the states have abortion bans on the books that will automatically become law.

However, the Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) club of College of DuPage also had their say on the subject.

“As a club, we stand for reproductive rights and freedom of choice when it comes to abortion. Roe v. Wade has done a good job preserving this right in America. The attack on it by conservatives is an attack on the autonomy of women and people who give birth,” said Benjamin Casey.

With the amount of states who are in favor of overruling Roe v. Wade, people who live in those states who share Casey’s belief would be forced to follow state law or leave that state for an abortion.

“If Democrats in Congress wanted to pass something to enshrine and protect the right to an abortion in the law, they had many opportunities since Roe v. Wade. They have not taken any of these opportunities. Instead, we’ve found ourselves in a situation where the right to an abortion is in jeopardy. I encourage all students to contact their representatives, get involved, and learn more about these issues,” Casey said.

Christians on Campus and the Pro-Life Club of the College of DuPage were also reached out to in regards to the subject, unfortunately there was no immediate response.

The Supreme Court is likely to issue its decision this summer.