One year ago, the United States Supreme Court handed down the decision in the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade. In 1973, Roe became law of the land, resulting in over 63 million abortions, according to a 2022 report from the National Right to Life (NRLC) committee.
After, Dobbs, the issue of abortion was decided by states, where many had trigger laws already in place in the event of a Roe overturn. And, many others enacted legislation in the months following Dobbs aimed at protecting unborn life.
“Since Roe was overturned and the Supreme Court restored the correct interpretation of our Constitution, 25 states have life-saving laws on the books,” GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik (NY) said in a press conference with Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America this week. “These efforts have protected the lives of an estimated 181,000 children.”
“This year’s anniversary of Dobbs is a moment to embrace how far we have come in this movement to protect the sanctity of life. It is also a historic opportunity to continue to strengthen the culture of life in America as we look to the future," Stefanik added.
Jeanne Mancini, president of the March for Life, pointed out that “16 states now offer alternatives to abortion funding (A2A) to strengthen and support adoption agencies, as well as the nearly 3,000 pregnancy resource centers and maternity homes that exist around the nation to provide resources, care, and support to pregnant women in need.”
From outlawing “abortion trafficking” to prohibiting abortions upon fetal heartbeat detection, here are several states that have been leading the pro-life cause in post-Roe America.
Arkansas
In January, Arkansas was crowned the most pro-life state in the country, according to Americans United for Life. When the Supreme Court reversed Roe in 2022, an abortion ban that was approved in the state in 2019 went into effect. Now, abortions are only permitted in cases where it is necessary in order to save the life of the mother. Doctors who break the law can face up to $100,000 in fines and 10 years in prison, according to Fox 16.
In addition to passing pro-life legislation, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported in September 2022 that fourteen pro-life pregnancy resource centers would receive state funding. The report noted that the centers that received the funds were largely funded through donations. Many are associated with religious organizations, and planned to use the funds to advertise and buy supplies for expectant mothers. This would include pregnancy tests, medical referrals, and supplies for infants.
"The need [for pregnancy centers] has increased, obviously, with the expectation we're going to have more live births, more children in need, more moms that need assistance," former GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson said last August in a news conference about the state’s abortion laws and expanding Medicaid coverage for pregnant women. Hutchinson is running for president in 2024.
In March 2023, GOP Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a bill allowing for the creation of a pro-life “monument to the unborn” at the state capitol. The bill passed the state House by a 60-19 vote and requires the secretary of state to permit and arrange the placement for the monument.
The House sponsor for the law, Rep. Mary Bentley, said the purpose of the monument was to “remember those children we were not able to protect, and we will not be able to forget.”
“I could not be more proud of Arkansas for memorializing the preborn lives lost to abortion in this powerful monument. The state has taken amazing strides in the last year to protect the lives of their preborn children and has set a strong example of what it means to be a pro-life state,” Students for Life of America (SFLA) Missouri and Arkansas Regional Coordinator Nicole Hollman said in a statement. “My hope is that this new monument will move people emotionally and help them to see the mass genocide our country committed in the Roe v. Wade era and still allows to continue. I look forward to the day when I can visit this monument in an abortion-free America and commemorate how far we have come. To help our country reach that day, we must all continue to be a voice for the voiceless.”
Florida
According to Americans United for Life’s report, Florida made a jump up seven spots on its list of the most pro-life states for the year 2022. That year, Florida passed a bill banning abortion at 15 weeks gestation. Though the state has around 30 abortion clinics, there are 150 pro-life pregnancy resource centers serving women in the state to provide them the care they need before and after their pregnancies.
“Ron DeSantis has continually delivered for the people of Florida, transforming the Sunshine State from a late-term abortion haven to one of the best states in the nation for unborn children and mothers. His record proves that going on offense works to defeat pro-abortion extremists, and he does not back down from a worthy fight, whether it is standing up for parents’ right to protect their children or safeguarding unborn babies when their hearts are beating and when they can feel pain,” Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement when DeSantis announced his 2024 presidential campaign.
“In the 2024 presidential contest, it is critical that pro-life candidates show bold leadership and lay out a clear policy platform in contrast to their opponents who support abortion on demand up until birth, paid for by taxpayers,” she added.
In April, Townhall reported how DeSantis went a step further and signed a six-week abortion ban into law. Six weeks is the time frame where the fetal heartbeat begins. According to the Associated Press, the six-week ban only takes effect if the 15-week ban is upheld by a court in an ongoing legal battle.
In addition to saving unborn lives, the legislation expanded resources for pro-life pregnancy resource centers. And, a press release from DeSantis’ office highlighted that this year’s Framework for Freedom Budget included permanent sales tax exemptions for baby and toddler necessities. The budget includes more than $96 million to support foster parents, caregivers and children. An additional $143 million will go towards services for pregnant and postpartum women and their children.
Signed the Heartbeat Protection Act, which expands pro-life protections and devotes resources to help young mothers and families. pic.twitter.com/quZpSj1ZPk
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) April 14, 2023
“We are proud to support life and family in the state of Florida,” DeSantis said in a statement. “I applaud the Legislature for passing the Heartbeat Protection Act that expands pro-life protections and provides additional resources for young mothers and families.”
Oklahoma
Following the overturn of Roe v. Wade, a law protecting unborn life at all stages with an exception for the mother’s life went into effect. Americans United for Life highlighted that the state “regularly” enacted pro-life laws, including a prohibition on sex-selection abortions, laws requiring mandatory reflection periods for women who choose abortion, and parental notification laws.
“Across the country, Americans are celebrating life on the first anniversary since Roe v. Wade was overturned. Pro-life laws in Oklahoma and nationwide have potentially saved as many as 200,000 lives. That is 200,000 children laughing and smiling today because of the Dobbs decision. The Biden Administration continues to be frustrated that children are being born in America so they push their radical, anti-life policies. Leaders and lawmakers on every level have a responsibility to defend life,” Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford (OK) told Townhall.
Last year, at a pro-life bill signing, Oklahoma GOP Gov. Kevin Stitt tweeted that he “[intended]to make Oklahoma the most pro-life state in the country.”
I intend to make Oklahoma the most-pro life state in the country.
— Governor Kevin Stitt (@GovStitt) April 12, 2022
This morning I will sign SB612 into law.
Tune in live at 9:00am CT here: https://t.co/8suOoUU9t4
Before Dobbs, lawmakers in Oklahoma drafted several pieces of pro-life legislation, including one modeled after a “heartbeat” law enacted in Texas in 2021. Stitt later signed legislation that outlawed abortion in the state, with the exception of situations where the mother’s life is in danger.
“Attorney General John O’Connor and I know this bill will be challenged immediately by liberal activists from the coasts who always seem to want to come in and dictate and mandate and challenge our way of life,” Stitt said at the bill signing. “We believe every life is precious. As a father of six, those are my core beliefs. And I’m elected by four million Oklahomans to represent them and to put our beliefs in the law.”
Stitt added that “we’re going to sign every piece of pro-life legislation that hits our desk.”
“We want it clear that we want to choose life in Oklahoma. We don’t want to allow abortions in the state of Oklahoma,” he continued. “These issues belong to the states and other states may do things differently, but in Oklahoma, I represent all four million Oklahomans. They overwhelmingly, overwhelmingly, do not support abortions in the state of Oklahoma.”
Mississippi
As Townhall covered, a now-closed Mississippi abortion clinic, Jackson Women’s Health Organization, was at the center of the case that overturned Roe. The lawsuit was filed by the abortion clinic to challenge a 15-week abortion ban in the state and made its way to the Supreme Court.
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, a Republican, defended the state’s 15-week ban. In an amicus brief she wrote for the Dobbs case, she described how Roe and Planned Parenthood v. Casey should be overturned (via the United States Supreme Court):
Roe and Casey are egregiously wrong. The conclusion that abortion is a constitutional right has no 2 basis in text, structure, history, or tradition.
[...]
“Casey repeats Roe’s flaws by failing to tie a right to abortion to anything in the Constitution. And abortion is fundamentally different from any right this Court has ever endorsed. No other right involves, as abortion does, ‘the purposeful termination of a potential life.’”
[...]
The Constitution does not protect a right to abortion. The Constitution’s text says nothing about abortion. Nothing in the Constitution’s structure implies a right to abortion or prohibits States from restricting it.
[...]
This Court should overrule Roe and Casey.
The language in the amicus brief was similar to the Supreme Court’s majority opinion published last year, where the justices wrote that the U.S. Constitution does not protect the right to abortion and determined that Roe and Casey were wrongly decided (via the United States Supreme Court):
The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe and Casey are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives.
[...]
Like the infamous decision in Plessy v. Ferguson, Roe was also egregiously wrong and on a collision course with the Constitution from the day it was decided. Casey perpetuated its errors, calling both sides of the national controversy to resolve their debate, but in doing so, Casey necessarily declared a winning side. Those on the losing side—those who sought to advance the State’s interest in fetal life—could no longer seek to persuade their elected representatives to adopt policies consistent with their views. The Court short-circuited the democratic process by closing it to the large number of Americans who disagreed with Roe.
“Mississippi’s laws to promote life are solid and thanks to the Court’s clear and strong opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, they can now go into effect,” Fitch said in the statement. “As we have said throughout this case, Roe v. Wade presented a false choice between a woman’s future and her child’s life. As we proceed in this post-Roe world, the people of Mississippi and of all the states will be able to fully engage in the work of both empowering women and promoting life. I am grateful that the Court has given us this opportunity.”
Jackson Women’s Health was the last-remaining abortion clinic in the state. Months after Roe fell, the clinic owner announced that she was closing up shop and opening a new clinic in New Mexico, where abortion laws are less restrictive.
Idaho
This year, Idaho introduced a first-of-its-kind legislation surrounding abortion. Gov. Brad Little, a Republican, made history by signing an “abortion trafficking” bill into law, ensuring that adults do not take pregnant minors across state lines to terminate a pregnancy.
“An adult who, with the intent to conceal an abortion from the parents or guardian of a pregnant, un-emancipated minor, either procures an abortion … or obtains an abortion-inducing drug for the pregnant minor to use for an abortion by recruiting, harboring, or transporting the pregnant minor within this state commits the crime of abortion trafficking,” the law, H.B. 242, states, which Townhall covered. Those who break the law could face two to five years behind bars and be sued by the child’s parent or legal guardian.
State Rep. Kevin Andrus, a Republican, told the Associated Press that parents’ rights were the main focus of the bill.
“We want to make sure that parents have a say in the life choices of their children,” Andrus said. “It will do a lot to save lives.”
"With the U.S. Supreme Court's reversal of Roe vs. Wade last summer, the right and duty to establish legal policy on abortion was finally returned to our state democratic process," Little wrote in a letter to state lawmakers when he announced he had signed the legislation.
“Section 1 of House Bill 242 does not criminalize, preclude, or otherwise impair interstate travel, nor does it limit an adult woman from obtaining an abortion in another state,” the letter continued. “Rather, the ‘abortion trafficking’ provision in the bill seeks only to prevent unemancipated minor girls from being taken across state lines for an abortion without the knowledge and consent of her parent or guardian.”
AP added that among the 47 states that reported 2019 abortion data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fewer than 9 percent of women who received abortions were 15 to 19 years old. However, Idaho had a higher proportion than most states, as about 1 in 8 women to obtain abortions in the state were aged 15 to 19.
“That kind of [abortion trafficking] proposal is definitely something that states should be looking at,” Kelsey Pritchard, a spokesperson for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America told the outlet about the legislation. “Idaho’s kind of thinking ahead here.”
According to Americans United for Life, Idaho has made “considerable progress” over the past 20 years to protect the unborn, including limiting medication abortions, a prohibition on “telehealth” abortions where pregnant women do not see a physician in-person, among others. In August 2022, the state banned abortion, and there are many pro-life pregnancy resource centers to support pregnant women and their children.
Idaho’s trigger law -which I signed in 2020- bans all abortion in the State of Idaho with few exceptions. SCOTUS just issued its official judgment overturning Roe v. Wade and returning the issue of abortion to the states to regulate.
— Brad Little (@GovernorLittle) July 26, 2022
The law officially takes effect August 25.
West Virginia
In September 2022, abortion was outlawed in the state of West Virginia after Republican Gov. Jim Justice signed a ban on the procedure into law. According to Politico, West Virginia was the second state to enact a law prohibiting abortion after the fall of Roe.
“I said from the beginning that if WV legislators brought me a bill that protected life and included reasonable and logical exceptions I would sign it, and that’s what I did today,” Justice said of the pro-life legislation.
Today I signed HB 302 - a bill that protects life.
— Governor Jim Justice (@WVGovernor) September 16, 2022
I said from the beginning that if WV legislators brought me a bill that protected life and included reasonable and logical exceptions I would sign it, and that's what I did today.
Read the bill ⬇️https://t.co/G7i9DTirSN
Prior to that, Justice signed the “Unborn Child with Down Syndrome Protection and Education Act (S.B. 468)” into law. The law prohibits discriminatory abortions performed because of a disability, including Down syndrome. The date of the bill signing coincided with World Down Syndrome Day, which is recognized March 21, which Townhall covered.
“West Virginia takes a bold step forward today in the fight against eugenic discrimination in America,” SBA Pro-Life’s Dannenfelser said in a statement about the law. “Research shows 99 percent of people with Down syndrome lead happy lives, yet instead of being cherished and included, far too often they are targeted for destruction in the womb where they are most vulnerable.”
In recent years, the state had passed laws protecting life leading up to Roe. In 2018, West Virginia amended its state constitution to protect the unborn, stating: “Nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion or requires the funding of abortion.” In 2020, Justice signed House Bill 4007, known as the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, into law. The legislation protects babies that are born because they survived an attempted abortion procedure.
“This is an absolute no-brainer as far as I’m concerned,” Justice said of the Born-Alive law. “I’ve said for a long time, even back before I took office as Governor, that I would support measures like this because every human life – born or unborn is precious and truly a gift from God.”
Indiana
Indiana became the first state to pass a ban on abortion after the Supreme Court overturned Roe, according to the Associated Press. The Indiana ban included exceptions for rape and incest only through the 10th week of pregnancy, replacing state laws that allowed for the procedure through the 20th week of pregnancy. The legislation was approved through a two-week special legislative session after Dobbs.
I have been clear in stating I am pro-life. We have an opportunity to make progress in protecting the sanctity of life, and that’s exactly what we will do.
— Governor Eric Holcomb (@GovHolcomb) June 24, 2022
In addition, AP added that the ban stated that abortions could only be performed in hospitals or outpatient centers owned by hospitals, meaning that all abortion clinics in the state would lose their licenses. Doctors found in violation of the law could lose their medical license and face felony charges punishable by up to six years behind bars.
"Following the overturning of Roe, I stated clearly that I would be willing to support legislation that made progress in protecting life. In my view, SEA 1 accomplishes this goal following its passage in both chambers of the Indiana General Assembly with a solid majority of support," GOP Gov. Eric Holcomb said in a statement about the legislation.
Republican state Rep. Wendy McNamara, who sponsored the legislation, said that it “makes Indiana one of the most pro-life states in the nation,” ABC News covered.
“After the Dobbs decision sent this issue back to the people in June, the process has worked the way it is supposed to. Elected officials made critical decisions after hearing from thousands of Hoosiers,” SBA Pro-Life’s Director of State Affairs Sue Liebel said in a statement. “The Indiana experience is illustrative for other states because it envisions new protections for life in Indiana based on the will of the people, highlighting that our work will continue in the future.”
Americans United for Life noted that before Dobbs, Indiana lawmakers had been passing several pro-life measures, including prohibition on partial-birth abortion, which occurs in the third trimester, and a prohibition on abortion for “discriminatory reasons.”
Shortly after the state’s abortion ban went into effect, a judge halted enforcement of the ban, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Indiana.
Louisiana
Since 2016, Louisiana has been led by a pro-life Democrat, Gov. John Bel Edwards. Edwards has worked with Republican and Democrat state lawmakers to get pro-life legislation passed in the state, including a trigger law that went into effect when Roe was overturned by the Supreme Court.
“I am and have always been unabashedly pro-life and opposed to abortion,” Edwards said in a statement on the day Roe fell. “Being pro-life means more than just being against abortion. It means providing the necessary resources and implementing policies that provide real options and not just lip service to the children, women, and families we are blessed to serve.”
After Dobbs was handed down by the Supreme Court, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, a Republican, announced that cities that refuse to enforce the state’s pro-life law will lose funding from the state. This came as New Orleans passed a resolution prohibiting public funds and resources from being utilized to enforce pro-life laws.
"As Attorney General and member of the Bond Commission, it is my belief that a parish or municipality should not benefit from the hard-working taxpayers of this State while ignoring laws validly enacted by the people through their representatives," Landry said in the statement. “The officials in New Orleans took an oath of office to support and enforce the laws of our State, yet they appear to have decided that some laws are not worthy of enforcement.”
Before the Supreme Court overturned Roe, sending the issue of abortion to the states, Edwards had signed legislation strengthening and expanding the state’s trigger law, which would increase penalties for those who illegally provide the procedure.
“It is the intention of the Legislature of Louisiana to prohibit and restrict abortion and to thereby preserve the life of each unborn child to the fullest extent permitted by law,” the bill text read.”No governing authority of a political subdivision shall enact any 13 ordinance or regulation that authorizes or regulates abortion.”
Another piece of legislation signed by Edwards made it illegal to send abortion pills through the mail to state residents, ABC reported. Those who send these pills via the mail could face five years in prison and fines up to $50,000.
“My position on abortion has been unwavering,” Edwards wrote in a tweet after he signed the legislation. “I am pro-life and have never hidden from that fact.”
My position on abortion has been unwavering. I am pro-life and have never hidden from that fact. This does not belie my belief that there should be an exception to the prohibition on abortion for victims of rape and incest. #lagov
— Gov. John Bel Edwards (@LouisianaGov) June 21, 2022
In August 2022, following Dobbs, Louisiana’s last three abortion clinics announced they would close their doors and leave the state.
South Carolina
Last month, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, signed a “heartbeat” bill, the “Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act,” into law, banning abortions at six weeks gestation.
In a statement, Dannenfelser said: “The way Gov. McMaster and pro-life legislators persisted to get a heartbeat protection across the finish line this year is a reflection of their compassion, respect for the people’s will, and adherence to the science. Every year, thousands more irreplaceable South Carolinians will be allowed to live and discover that unique purpose in this world which only they can fulfill.”
One day after the bill was signed, a judge blocked the law from taking effect. According to CNN, Circuit Court Judge Clifton Newman put the law on hold so the state Supreme Court can review whether or not it violates the state’s constitution.
“We will continue fighting to protect the lives of the unborn in South Carolina and the constitutional law that protects them,” McMaster said in a statement on Twitter in response to the decision. “I hope that the Supreme Court will take this matter up without delay.”
We will continue fighting to protect the lives of the unborn in South Carolina and the constitutional law that protects them. I hope that the Supreme Court will take this matter up without delay. https://t.co/2y2KPrtnUw
— Gov. Henry McMaster (@henrymcmaster) May 26, 2023
Attorney General Alan Wilson, a Republican, said his office is “considering all our options,” adding that “we’ve defended the right to life in court before, and we’re prepared to do it again.”
In 2021, South Carolina passed a similar six-week ban, which was reportedly stuck down by the state Supreme Court. Republicans who drafted the new version said that the language addresses the Court’s concerns on the previous bill. And, the latest version of the bill reportedly includes an amendment requiring the biological father to pay child support beginning at conception.
“While I respect Judge Newman’s decision, I remain convinced that the heartbeat bill is constitutional and that the Supreme Court will agree,” Republican state Senate President Thomas Alexander said in a statement to the Associated Press.
Texas
In 2021, Texas enacted legislation that banned abortions statewide after fetal heartbeat detection, which sparked legal challenges from abortion providers and advocates almost immediately. When the legal challenges made their way to the Supreme Court, the Court allowed the law to remain in effect and remanded it back to lower courts.
In the first month the “heartbeat” bill was in effect, abortions in the state dropped about 60 percent, which Townhall covered.
Ahead of the Dobbs case, GOP Texas Gov. Greg Abbott joined a pro-life amicus brief urging the Court to overturn Roe.
"The most precious freedom is life itself," Abbott said of the brief. "Our Creator endowed us with the right to life, but millions of children lose that right every year because of abortion. In Texas, we work to spare every child from the ravages of abortion, which is why I am proud to join my fellow governors in protecting the unborn."
When the decision was released, Abbott said in a statement that he would continue to work on pro-life efforts in the state.
"The U.S. Supreme Court correctly overturned Roe v. Wade and reinstated the right of states to protect innocent, unborn children. Texas is a pro-life state, and we have taken significant action to protect the sanctity of life. Texas will always fight for the innocent unborn, and I will continue working with the Texas legislature and all Texans to save every child from the ravages of abortion and help our expectant mothers in need."
Statement on U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade: https://t.co/907gCgnuKq pic.twitter.com/N3TXtmLjSz
— Gov. Greg Abbott (@GovAbbott) June 24, 2022
According to Americans United for Life, abortions are outlawed in Texas and over 200 pro-life pregnancy centers exist to help women in need. Additionally, the state earmarked $100 million for Alternatives to Abortion programs.
In an interview with Townhall, Lila Rose, the founder and president of Live Action, praised Texas’ pro-life laws over recent years.
“Texas has been particularly innovative and bold in protecting children, and they’ve had huge impact in saving lives,” Rose said.
Alabama
In 2019, Alabama sent shockwaves across the country when GOP Gov. Kay Ivey signed a pro-life bill, the Human Life Protection Act, into law, banning nearly all abortions in the state.
At the time, SBA”s Dannenfelser said in a statement: “Across the nation there is growing momentum, informed by science and compassion, and spurred on in reaction to abortion extremism in New York and Virginia, to recognize the humanity of the unborn child in the law. It is clearer than ever that Roe is far from being settled law in the eyes and hearts of the American people, and this is increasingly reflected in state legislatures. the American people want a fresh debate and a new direction, achieved by consensus and built on love for both mothers and babies. The time is coming for the Supreme Court to let that debate go forward.”
Soon after, Associated Press reported that a federal judge blocked the ban from taking effect, which would make performing an abortion a felony in most cases.
“Alabama’s abortion ban contravenes clear Supreme Court precedent,” U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson wrote in an opinion. “It violates the right of an individual to privacy, to make choices central to personal dignity and autonomy. It diminishes the capacity of women to act in society, and to make reproductive decisions. It defies the United States Constitution.”
In 2022, once Roe was overturned, the 2019 law went into effect shortly after, as the legal basis for the injunction no longer existed.
“Here in Alabama, we have been preparing for this day when the decision-making authority on abortion is rightfully returned to the states. In 2019, I was proud to sign into law the Alabama Human Life Protection Act, which is one of the strongest bans on abortion in the country,” Ivey said in a statement the day Roe was overturned. “As I noted when I signed the Alabama Human Life Protection Act, every life is precious and a sacred gift from God. We will not relent in our efforts. Ensuring this 2019 law can be enforced is the next and very critical step to protecting our babies.”
Americans United for Life noted that Alabama has over 50 pro-life pregnancy resource centers to serve women and their families. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said in a statement after Dobbs that any attacks against these centers would be “prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office to the fullest extent of the law.”
Before Dobbs, Alabama lawmakers worked to pass legislation that would restrict abortion, including parental notification requirements and approving a constitutional amendment declaring that there is no right to abortion in the state’s constitution.
South Dakota
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, is an outspoken advocate for the pro-life cause. In her administration, Noem created a position for an “unborn person advocate” to “fearlessly fight to protect both expectant mothers and unborn babies,” according to Noem’s campaign website.
After Dobbs, abortion became illegal in South Dakota due to the state’s “long-pending ‘trigger law,’” the Argus Leader reported. Abortion giant Planned Parenthood was the sole abortion provider in the state, according to its website.
The 2005 trigger law outlaws abortion “unless there is appropriate and reasonable medical judgment that performance of an abortion is necessary to preserve the life of the pregnant female,” adding that any person who helps a pregnant woman get an abortion is guilty of a Class 6 felony, punishable by two years in prison and a $4,000 fine, South Dakota Public Broadcasting reported.
In the years leading up to Dobbs, Noem’s administration, as well as pro-life state lawmakers, worked to pass legislation protecting unborn life. Americans United for Life noted that in 2020, South Dakota passed a resolution against the National Education Association’s (NEA) policy to support a “fundamental right to abortion.” And, in 2021, the state passed measures protecting born-alive infants, preventing discriminatory abortions of babies with disabilities, and providing informed consent for medication abortions.
In Noem’s 2022 State of the State address, she said she would work on passing a six-week “heartbeat” ban in the state, which Townhall reported. Weeks before this, she had signed an Executive Order prohibiting telemedicine abortions in South Dakota, where a woman does not see a physician before taking medication abortion pills.
“Everybody knows that I’m pro-life and do not support any kind of abortions,” Noem said in an interview with Fox News at the time. “But, here what the Biden administration is doing is trying to put forward abortion on demand. And we’re going to stop them and make sure that that’s not available in our state.”
In the time after the Dobbs draft opinion was leaked but before its official release, Planned Parenthood announced that it had stopped providing abortions in anticipation of the ruling.
"Abortions have stopped in South Dakota," Noem tweeted in response to the announcement. "We have prayed for this day, and now it is here."
Abortions have stopped in South Dakota. We have prayed for this day, and now it is here.
— Governor Kristi Noem (@govkristinoem) June 16, 2022
Now, we must redouble our focus on taking care of mothers in crisis. Help is available for you. Adoption is an option. You are never alone.https://t.co/dlBs6sd7R8
North Carolina
In April, Townhall reported how a state lawmaker in North Carolina switched from the Democratic Party to Republican Party, giving the House a GOP supermajority.
State Rep. Tricia Cotham represents a Democrat-leaning district near Charlotte. When she made the decision to join the GOP, she said in a press conference that her party became “unrecognizable.”
“The modern day Democratic has become unrecognizable to me and to so many others throughout this state and this country. The party wants to villainize anyone who has free thought, free judgment, has solutions, who wants to get to work to better our state, not just sit in a meeting and have a workshop after a workshop, but really work with individuals to get things done because that’s what real public servants do,” Cotham said. “If you don’t do exactly what the Democrats want you to do, they will try to bully you. They will try to cast you aside.”
In addition, Cotham reportedly stated that she would be open to enacting restrictions on abortion in the state. She was previously pro-abortion.
A month later, North Carolina made headlines after a bill banning most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy and providing $160 million in funding to support children, families and maternal health was passed. The bill was sent to the Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's desk and vetoed. The state’s Republican-controlled General Assembly overrode the governor’s veto, ensuring that the bill would become law.
A poll from SBA Pro-Life found that over 60 percent of North Carolinians support protecting unborn life by at least 12 weeks.
“The momentum for life continues. Twenty-three states including my home state of North Carolina now have laws protecting babies at the point when they feel pain, with the potential of Nebraska and South Carolina soon to follow. Since the Dobbs decision, tens of thousands of lives have been saved and substantially fewer women are experiencing the horrors and harms of abortion. This is thanks to the bold leadership of pro-life leaders in the states: governors, legislators and attorneys general who have prioritized the will of the people in advancing human rights where they live,” Dannenfelser said of the law.
“We’re not even close to done yet. The pro-life movement will press on to save more lives in the states and push for a federal gestational protection so that California, Illinois, New York and others cannot continue their extreme abortion-on-demand policies that mirror what occurs in North Korea and China,” she added.
Going forward, Live Action’s Rose told Townhall that the pro-life movement should be focused on passing more protections for unborn life, especially in states where Democratic leaders push policies promoting abortion.
“Just because you’re a child conceived in California or New York doesn’t mean that you don’t have the same right to life as a child in Texas or in Florida,” Rose said. “The pro-life movement should be focused on enshrining total protection for children under law and this is something already promised by our Constitution under the Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection clause.”
When asked about a possible 15-week national abortion ban, such as one suggested by South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham (R), Rose added that “as long as any states are refusing to protect life, we need a federal abortion ban. We need complete legal protection. This is a fundamental right.”
Jor-El Godsey, president of Heartbeat International, a worldwide network of pro-life pregnancy resource centers, told Townhall in an interview that “every woman should be loved and supported through her pregnancy,” and that women don’t have the “desire” for abortion that the pro-abortion supporters believe.
“I think part of our nation is moving in the right direction, and what we’re showing…is that yes, you can protect women, and you can help babies to be born, but also need do the other part, and that’s where we’re seeing the 'life' states move as well, I called out Texas and Missouri…that are then putting resources towards helping women have those babies, really address those issues that might push them towards abortion,” he said. “Those are the kind of multiple factors that need to happen.”
“Roe being overturned has released them [women] from the bondage of the tyranny of abortion to really explore how to do that well,” Godsey said. “How to not just constrain abortion, but help women and families and help realize that they don’t really need it [abortion].”
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