By Anne Reed

Washington D.C. – After nearly 50 long years, the U.S. Supreme Court finally overturned the Roe v. Wade decision that falsely established a federal constitutional right to kill children in the womb. In the afterglow of Friday’s celebration, many are asking how the abortion industry and state legislatures are responding.

According to our own research, 40 abortion facilities have halted abortions or are no longer scheduling appointments at all since Friday. And more are scheduled to follow suit by July 24, when statutory 30-day enactment delays of abortion restrictions or bans have been fulfilled.

Expect to see a rapidly changing environment across the landscape of the U.S. in the upcoming days, weeks, and months. Some clues can be garnered from a list composed by The Susan B. Anthony List revealing states that were either poised to protect children in the womb immediately upon Roe’s overturn or are expected to do so in the coming weeks.

Twelve states protecting the lives of in utero babies immediately:  

  • Alabama – unborn children protected throughout pregnancy.
  • Arkansas – unborn children protected throughout pregnancy.
  • Kentucky – unborn children protected throughout pregnancy.
  • Louisiana – unborn children protected throughout pregnancy.
  • Missouri – unborn children protected throughout pregnancy.
  • Ohio – unborn children protected as soon as their heartbeat can be detected.
  • Oklahoma – unborn children protected throughout pregnancy.
  • South Dakota – unborn children protected throughout pregnancy.
  • Texas – unborn children protected throughout pregnancy. Pre-Roe law and Heartbeat Act are in effect; trigger law takes effect 30 days after Roe.
  • Utah – unborn children protected throughout pregnancy.
  • West Virginia – unborn children protected throughout pregnancy; pre-Roe law enforceable.
  • Wisconsin – unborn children protected throughout pregnancy; pre-Roe law enforceable.

At least eight states expected to enact pro-life protections soon:                                                                

  • Georgia – unborn children to be protected as soon as their heartbeat can be detected.
  • Idaho – unborn children to be protected throughout pregnancy, 30 days after reversal.
  • Mississippi – unborn children protected throughout pregnancy, as soon as the attorney general certifies Roe has been reversed.
  • North Dakota – unborn children protected throughout pregnancy; attorney general has 30 days to certify.
  • South Carolina – unborn children protected when their heartbeat is detected, as soon as an injunction is lifted. The state will file a motion in federal court
  • Tennessee – unborn children protected throughout pregnancy, 30 days after reversal of Roe. The state has also asked for an injunction against its heartbeat law to be lifted.
  • Wyoming – unborn children protected throughout pregnancy, five days after the attorney general certifies Roe has been reversed.

“Notable is the fact that the reversal of Roe v. Wade has no effect on legitimate health care services,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. If abortion is only 3-4% of what they do, as Planned Parenthood has claimed for years, then why do bans and restrictions on abortion force them to close or relocate?

“In the coming weeks and months, abortion businesses will be shutting their doors or moving to other states, especially along state lines and major travel routes. We will continue to track these closings and relocations and keep you informed.”