Reaction to US Supreme Court overturning of landmark Roe v. Wade decision

In a death knell to nearly 50 years of constitutional protections for thousands of women who seek abortions, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday that the decision known as Roe versus Wade was wrong.

The justices, by a 6-3 vote; set it aside. Now individual states may ban the procedure should legislatures so choose.

During the weekend, opponents and supporters of abortion demonstrated in cities across the country. Here in Cleveland, hundreds of abortion rights supporters gathered at Willard Park Saturday.

The decision came more than a month following the leak of a draft opinion from conservative Justice Samuel Alito.
That had indicated the court would be taking this momentous step, one many constitutional experts thought was unthinkable just a few years ago, but one which abortion opposing forces had been fighting for since Roe v Wade was decided, in 1973.

The decision overturns Roe, 'and' the 1992 case of Planned Parenthood versus Casey, which reaffirmed the right to abortion.

In the final opinion, Alito wrote, " We therefore hold that the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion. Roe and Casey must be overruled, and the authority to regulate abortion must be returned to the people and their elected representatives."

While Justice Alito added that no other precedents should be affected by this decision, fellow conservative Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in a concurring opinion that the rationale used to overturn Roe could also be used to overturn other court decisions, including the rights to contraception, and same-sex marriage.

Ohio, currently with a conservative majority in its' legislature, is one of the roughly 20 states expected to make abortion illegal under most circumstances.

Before Friday, in Ohio, abortion was legal for the first 20 weeks of pregnancy; but on Friday, Republican Attorney General Dave Yost filed a motion in federal court to rescind the three-years old injunction that blocked Ohio's so-called "heartbeat bill", which was approved by the federal judge. Now abortions are banned after only six weeks. Republican Governor Mike DeWine has already said he would sign a total abortion ban if Roe were overturned.

The governor tweeted after the decision, "I believe that all Ohioans want this state to be the most pro-family, pro-child state in the country, and we are making great progress in creating an environment here in Ohio where families and children can thrive and live up to their full potential."

Also Friday, Democratic US Senator Sherrod Brown tweeted " This will be the first generation of women to grow up with fewer rights and freedoms than their mothers and grandmothers. And we know this burden will be disproportionately carried by low-income women and women of color."

Mayor Justin Bibb of Cleveland called it " a ruthless attack on women".

This hour, we're going to hear many reactions to the news.

- Iris Harvey, President & CEO, Planned Parenthood Greater Ohio

- Elizabeth Whitmarsh, Spokesperson, Ohio Right to Life

- Jessie Hill, Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development and Professor of Law, Case Western Reserve University

- Tom Sutton, PhD, Professor of Political Science, Baldwin Wallace University

- Shana Black, Founder and Publisher, Black Girl Media