One year ago, the Supreme Court reversed its holdings in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, returning the decision to regulate abortion to the states. We may be rejoicing over the Court’s ruling last year, but we also know that the fight to hold the abortion industry accountable is far from over; if anything, the real battle has only just begun.
While Reprotection joins others in celebrating this significant pro-life victory, vulnerable women and their preborn children still face the threat of violence and exploitation from dangerous, unregulated abortion facilities throughout the country.
Without an organization like Reprotection leading the way in investigating and shutting down dangerous abortion facilities, this deadly industry will continue harming women without consequence.
Many providers have openly discussed their strategies for working around abortion bans, disregarding the health and safety of women by finding technicalities that help them skirt the law.
One Planned Parenthood chapter also boasted about its plan to deploy mobile abortion clinic vans to the Illinois border to offer abortions to neighboring states that have enacted restrictions. If left unchecked, this strategy means Planned Parenthood can enter an area, commit abortions, and then drive away without facing accountability for potentially causing a woman to experience complications.
Numerous states have also passed broad abortion laws that allow unrestricted access to abortion. Many of these same states that have eliminated virtually all abortion restrictions are encouraging women to travel there for abortions, which is a recipe for disaster.
Last year, California fulfilled Gov. Gavin Newsom’s promise that the state would operate as a “sanctuary” for abortion if the Supreme Court reversed Roe. Shortly after the Dobbs decision, Newsom signed a package of abortion bills.
One bill in particular, AB 2223, removes the requirement for a state coroner to investigate deaths related to self-induced or criminal abortions. It also prevents charges or civil actions from being brought against those involved in the abortion based on statements made by the coroner in the fetal death certificate.
Michigan also approved Proposal 3 last year, a ballot measure that amends the state constitution to establish a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom.” The ballot measure allows for all “pregnancy-related decisions” without interference, eliminating state laws that conflicted with the amendment.
As a result of the Court’s ruling last summer, multiple states, including Illinois, have also focused on passing shield laws that help prevent abortionists from facing prosecution from other states.
Roe may be gone, but the abortion industry is continuing to exploit women whose circumstances have led them to consider abortion, demonstrating its willingness to break or manipulate the law to satisfy its own ends.
The fight against the abortion industry is ongoing, and we’re not at the finish line yet. Reprotection will not stop until every community is abortion-free.