How far are states willing to go to enforce abortion laws?
Well, we know that in the states with “trigger laws,” many of these laws will go into effect very quickly. There are some states that have sort of delay mechanisms. There has to be certification by the attorney general, for example, and then 30 days have to go by. Many states, even Friday have already been banning abortion. I think South Dakota was the latest, but I’m sure there are more that have been happening in the immediate aftermath of the decision. That number will grow.
In other states there’s more complexity. For example, Michigan has abortion on the ballot before voters directly. There’s also state constitutional litigation unfolding in Michigan. So there’ll be some states that are in a holding pattern in the near term. Then of course this issue will be politically contested in a variety of places. Those include states that once had state constitutional protections for abortion, but now no longer do.