SALT LAKE CITY — The Supreme Court is considering arguments in a Mississippi abortion law case that could give justices the opportunity to potentially overturn Roe v. Wade.
The verdict of the case could end up eliminating access to most elective abortions in Utah.
In 2020, Governor Gary Herbert signed a law that would eliminate most elective abortions if Roe v. Wade is overturned.
“In Utah, we’ve already passed a bill that will trigger an abortion ban as soon as Roe v. Wade is overturned,” said Maryann Christensen. “We are terribly excited about what’s going on in Washington today.”
Christensen is the executive director of conservative organization Utah Eagle Forum. She and other members are in Washington D.C. right now, where they rallied with other anti-abortion activists.
“This new generation understand a baby’s a baby from the moment of conception and they’re just not a generation that’s willing to let it happen anymore,” she said.
In Utah, Planned Parenthood Association of Utah president Karrie Galloway said if Utahns lose the option to legally get an abortion, contraception is not affordable enough to rely on.
“We really haven’t discussed the implications of what that would mean to the women and families of Utah to lose the opportunity get healthcare,” she said.
Galloway said the case has a lot on the line.
“The last polling that was done, over fifty percent of Utahns said they don’t want Roe overturned,” Galloway said.
It’ll take months of waiting for the Supreme Court to come to a decision.
“It’s one of those egregious things that the Supreme Court did nearly fifty years ago. We’ve allowed for it to go on for fifty years and it’s time for the egregiousness to end,” said Christensen.
“I just can’t imagine to be told that I no longer have that right to make self-determinations about my own body,” said Galloway.
Back in July 2021, Utah and twenty-three other states filed a “friend of the court” brief asking the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade. Senator Mike Lee also filed his own brief this summer, asking justices to let states set their own abortion laws.
