Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, allows states to ban abortions

Story updated to include Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s statement.

After months of speculating the fate of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court has officially overturned the landmark ruling that protected abortion rights since 1973.

Friday’s decision paves the way for states to ban abortions, turning back decades of women’s reproductive rights. As WXYZ reports, 13 states have so-called trigger laws, which ban abortions if Roe v. Wade is overturned.

THE SUPREME COURT HAS OVERTURNED ROE V. WADE, ELIMINATING THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO ABORTION.https://t.co/ZNYRs3QnpJ

— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) June 24, 2022

The decision to overturn Roe v. Wade was anticipated after a leaked draft opinion was published by POLITICO.

Abortion remains legal in the state of Michigan. Court of Claims Judge Elizabeth Gleicher granted a preliminary injunction sought by Planned Parenthood of Michigan last month, saying a 1931 law criminalizing abortions likely violates the Michigan Constitution.

“The impact of today’s ruling cannot be overstated. It claws back the hard-won agency women have over their bodies & lives, & it eliminates settled law relied upon by generations of Americans,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel tweeted. “It’s time to vote like your life depends on it — because it does.”

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer released a statement following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

“Today is a sad day for America as an unelected group of conservative judges act squarely against the will of the people and medical expertise,” Whitmer says. “We can all sense the despair that tens of millions of Americans—our neighbors, family members and friends—are feeling right now. However we personally feel about abortion, health—not politics—should drive important medical decisions.

“With today’s decision, Michigan’s antiquated 1931 law banning abortion without exceptions for rape or incest and criminalizing doctors and nurses who provide reproductive care takes effect. For now, a Michigan court has put a temporary hold on the law, but that decision is not final and has already been challenged. The 1931 law would punish women and strip away their right to make decisions about their own bodies. I am deeply disappointed that Michigan’s Republican legislative leaders have been in court defending this draconian ban, to the detriment of women and families. Some legislators have gone a step further, proposing a 10-year prison sentence for abortion providers and a 20-year sentence for anyone manufacturing, selling or distributing birth control medication.”

Whitmer emphasizes that she will fight to protect women’s reproductive rights in Michigan.

“I will fight like hell to protect every Michiganders’ right to make decisions about their own body with the advice of a medical professional they trust. I will not give in or give up for my kids, your kids, and the future of our great state.”