Why Texas's New Abortion Law and the Upcoming SCOTUS Case are Stressing Us Out

 It’s no secret that 2021 has seen endless attacks on abortion access. Most notably, Texas is attempting to not only ban abortion at six weeks but allow anyone in the U.S. to sue any person involved in providing abortion care or helping someone in Texas access abortion care. Jessica Mason Pieklo, Senior Vice President and Executive Editor at Rewire News Group and co-host of Boom! Lawyered podcast, talks to us about the abortion ban out of Texas and the critical Mississippi case making its way in front of the Supreme Court in the fall.Texas’ new (but not in effect yet) abortion ban that would ban the procedure at six weeks, before most people are aware they are pregnant. Normally, abortion bans like this require the enforcement of a state-actor, such as an attorney general or prosecutor. Instead, this statute empowers anyone as able to enforce this law. In short, Texas’ new law allows citizens to become pseudo-vigilantes, allowing the reporting of anyone who “aids and abets” someone in accessing an abortion. “Aiding and abetting” could include helping someone pay for care, driving someone to an appointment, or watching someone’s children while they attend an appointment. If this law goes into effect, patients in Texas would be forced to leave the state in order to access care. The law will also force abortion funds and other organizations to re-assess whether they feel able to operate. This fall, the Supreme Court will hear a case that proves a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade. Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey has previously established the unconstitutionality of Mississippi’s recent 15-week abortion ban, yet the Supreme Court has decided to hear it, signaling a troubling outcome. While it takes four justices to decide to take a case, it takes five justices to decide to change the law. Because no federal courts have disagreed with precedent before, there’s little reason why the conservative justices would want to take this case without the desire to change the law. With a 6-3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court, this case proves to be particularly frightening. If the Supreme Court upholds Mississippi’s 15-week ban, Louisiana’s 15-week ban will also go into effect. It is likely that the language used to uphold these bans would be applied to 12-week bans, 8-week bans, and 6-week bans across the U.S. LinksRewire News Group on TwitterRewire News Group on FacebookJessica Mason Pieklo on TwitterIn Texas, Abortion Snitches Don’t Get Stitches—They Get $10,000Take Action Follow Rewire News Group on Facebook and Twitter.If you can, donate to local independent abortion clinics, advocates, and abortion funds.At the local and state-level, advocate for increased abortion protections, such as state insurance exchange requirements to cover abortion and contraception, state recognition of Medicaid funding for abortion, or protections of abortion access.Have conversations with those in your neighborhood and your community about the importance of abortion access and the reality of these upcoming state and federal court cases, lawsuits, and pieces of legislation.For more information, check out Boom! Lawyered: https://rewirenewsgroup.com/boom-lawyered/ Support the showFollow Us on Social: Twitter: @rePROsFightBack Instagram: @reprosfbFacebook: rePROs Fight Back Bluesky: @reprosfightback.bsky.socialBuy rePROs Merch: Bonfire store Email us: [email protected] and Review on Apple PodcastThanks for listening & keep fighting back!