DETROIT (WXYZ) — In a historic move, the U.S. Supreme Court has voted 6-3 to overturn Roe v. Wade, making abortion illegal in the United States.
The measure was decided based on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case, Mississippi’s abortion ban legislation that sought to make abortions illegal after 15 weeks.
The decision comes almost 50 years after abortion was made legal in the United States, a measure that will affect the country's nearly 167 million women and girls who, now, no longer have access to legal abortions.
In the opinion introduced by Justice Alito, he said, "Abortion presents a profound moral issue on which Americans hold sharply conflicting views. Some believe fervently that a human person comes into being at conception and that abortion ends an innocent life. Others feel just as strongly that any regulation of abortion invades a woman’s right to control her own body and prevents women from achieving full equality. Still others in a third group think that abortion should be allowed under some but not all circumstances, and those within this group hold a variety of views about the particular restrictions that should be imposed."
For millions of women, the loss of the right to make reproductive decisions remains at the forefront of the pro-choice movement. As a result of the decision, the power goes back to the states who now have the legislative authority to enact abortion laws. Both, for or against abortion.
For pro-life supporters, the news is a welcome sign of progress.
"The U.S. Supreme Court justices who voted to overrule Roe are on the right side of history today. This monumental day gives the states the ability to restore legal rights to the unborn hopefully, in turn, ceasing the unjust slaughtering of the innocent in our country. We stand by our justices and thank them for their courage and wisdom in overruling a law that has plagued our society for the past 50 years," said Barbara Listing, president, Right to Life of Michigan.
"The overturning of Roe v. Wade was made possible by working with the legal system and following laws. We know that one day Michigan’s 1931 abortion law will be enforced again, and the unborn will be protected against ableism, sexism, and racism. We will continue to peacefully work towards this through the legal system," Listing added.
As the power heads back to the states, Michigan is one of the more than 20 states who currently have laws that will outlaw abortions as a result of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. The 1931 Michigan abortion ban makes abortions illegal and criminal.
“Today’s Supreme Court decision marks the beginning of a proud new chapter in America’s history. I have long maintained that our nation’s laws and policies should reflect a commitment to the sanctity of human life at every stage, and this ruling is a tremendous step toward upholding this critical moral responsibility. This decision protects our Constitution by returning power back to the states, the American people, and the lawmakers chosen to represent them. I am proudly pro-life, and I applaud today’s Supreme Court decision that will undoubtedly save unborn lives,” U.S. Representative Peter Meijer (R-MI) said about the Supreme Court’s Dobbs V. Jackson decision.
