On Dec. 1, the court is set to hear oral arguments on a Mississippi ban on almost all abortions after the 15th week of pregnancy. Arguments in the Mississippi case will likely focus more on fetal viability, as the law poses more of a direct challenge to preestablished standards and is enforced by state officials.
Rulings from the court in both cases — on Texas’ SB 8 and the Mississippi law — are highly anticipated, now that the court has a six-justice conservative supermajority and the numbers to overturn Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 landmark stemming from a Dallas woman’s challenge to a Texas abortion ban.
In June, Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill, House Bill 1280, into law that would prohibit abortions in Texas if Roe vs. Wade is overturned. Pojman said Texas Alliance for Life and other groups helped craft the law with the Mississippi case in mind.
“That is a law that completely protects unborn babies from abortion, up to the moment of conception, fertilization,” Pojman said. “And it goes into effect when, to the extent, the Supreme Court overturns the terrible Roe vs. Wade precedent.”
Duble said from a political advocacy perspective, Avow is already prepping for the 2022 midterm and statewide elections.
“What we’re doing is gearing up for 2022, where we fully intend to hold the lawmakers who have allowed this trend of anti-abortion restrictions and SB 8 to go into effect,” Duble said. “We plan to hold them accountable.”