How the possible overturning of ‘Roe vs. Wade’ could affect our community and our state
If the decision stays the same, it could mean massive changes to healthcare in our region by putting abortion laws in the hands of individual states.
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — People across the country, and also in the Cape Fear region, are talking about a leaked draft opinion which suggests that the Supreme Court is about to overturn the 1973 Roe versus Wade case that legalized abortion.
In downtown Wilmington today, people gathered to voice their opinion about the overturning of the landmark case. The large gathering comes as no surprise, as a 2019 study shows that as many as one in four adult women in the U.S have had an abortion.
If the decision stays the same, it could mean massive changes to healthcare in our region by putting abortion laws in the hands of individual states.
Congressman David Rouzer saying that he will vote with his constituents, and believes that they should have the final say. Rouzer stated, “My personal stance on abortion is that it should be illegal. That is a taking of a life, but the bottom line is a federal judge shouldn’t determine yes or no on that particular subject. It should be left to the people”.
If the supreme court rules against Roe versus Wade, North Carolina may not see immediate changes. Our state does not have a “trigger law”, which is a law that automatically bans abortions if this ruling is passed. Some of our surrounding states do have those laws in place.
There is, however, a North Carolina law that bans abortion after 20 weeks which is currently blocked by federal court. If the Supreme Court’s ruling remains the same, federal courts could begin the process by unblocking that law.
Molly Rivera, a Planned Parenthood representative spoke on the possible impact, stating, “We will certainly feel the effects either of people traveling to North Carolina to get an abortion, or by the state legislature coming into session to pass a new restriction.”
The topic of abortion has been a very controversial issue for years in the United States. Today, the issue stirred dozens of both men and women to gather and march through the region to make their stance heard.
