Supreme Court to take up major Mississippi abortion case

The Supreme Court said Monday it would consider the legality of Mississippi’s ban on most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, which had been struck down by a lower court ruling.

The announcement is a boost to abortion opponents, who hope that a newly conservative court, especially after the appointment of Justice Amy Coney Barrett, will be more receptive to abortion restrictions.

Mississippi’s abortion restriction was the first to reach the court from a wave of state laws intended to challenge the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which declared that access to abortion was a constitutional right.

Mississippi passed the Gestational Age Act in 2018, prohibiting abortions after 15 weeks except in cases of medical emergencies or severe fetal abnormality. Supporters said it was intended to regulate “inhumane procedures” and argued that a fetus was capable of detecting and responding to pain by then.

via www.nbcnews.com