In the year since the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that ended nearly a half-century of a nationwide right to abortion, states have enacted contrasting policies on the issue. The Dobbs decision overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that protected the right to an abortion until fetal viability, which is generally considered to be around 23 or 24 weeks of pregnancy.
Lawmakers, governors, courts and voters are all shaping policies — and more changes are in the pipeline.
A state-by-state breakdown of where things stand:
STATES WHERE ABORTION IS BANNED THROUGHOUT PREGNANCY
ALABAMA
Law adopted in 2019 took effect after Dobbs.
Exception: Woman’s life or health.
ARKANSAS
Law adopted in 2019 took effect after Dobbs.
Exceptions: Woman’s life.
IDAHO
Law adopted in 2020 took effect after Dobbs.
Exceptions: Rape, incest and life of the woman. A judge has blocked enforcement in cases of medical emergencies.
The state also has a law making it a felony to transport a minor for the purpose of obtaining an abortion without parental consent.
KENTUCKY
Law adopted in 2019 took effect after Dobbs.
Exceptions: Health or life of the woman.
Kentucky voters in 2022 defeated a ballot question for an amendment that would have declared there to be no right to abortion in the state constitution.
LOUISIANA
Law adopted in 2006 took effect after Dobbs.
Exceptions: Life or heath of the woman.
MISSISSIPPI
Law adopted in 2007 took effect after Dobbs.
Exceptions: Rape and the life of the woman.
MISSOURI
Law adopted in 2019 took effect after Dobbs.
Exceptions: Life or heath of the woman.
NORTH DAKOTA
A new law was adopted in 2023, replacing one that was blocked by a court.
Exceptions: Rape, incest and health or life of the woman.
OKLAHOMA
Law adopted in 2022 took effect after Dobbs.
Exceptions: Life of the woman.
SOUTH DAKOTA
Law adopted in 2005 took effect after Dobbs.
Exceptions: Life of the woman.
TENNESSEE
Law adopted in 2020 took effect after Dobbs.
Exceptions: Health or life of the woman.
TEXAS
Law adopted in 2021 took effect after Dobbs.
Exceptions: Health or life of the woman.
WEST VIRGINIA
Ban adopted in 2022 after the Dobbs ruling.
Exceptions: Rape, incest and health or life of the woman.
WISCONSIN
Ban is from an 1849 law. There’s litigation over whether it should be in effect.
Exceptions: Woman’s life.
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BC-US–Abortion-States, 1st Ld-Writethru
Jun 21, 2023 11:18 PM – 1437 words
Eds: UPDATES: Add byline AP Photos.
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Cover Photo: Anti-abortion advocates celebrate outside the Supreme Court in Washington on June 24, 2022, following the court’s decision to end constitutional protections for abortion that had been in place nearly 50 years. One year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court rescinded a five-decade-old right to abortion, prompting a seismic shift in debates about politics, values, freedom and fairness. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
