Operators of the Tuscaloosa abortion clinic that provides 50% of the procedures in Alabama are picking up the pieces following bombshell reporting by the news site Politico. A leaked U.S. Supreme Court draft opinion suggests a majority of the justices could be poised to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide. Alabama lawmakers have already passed what’s known as a “trigger law” that would reportedly render abortions illegal once the nation’s highest court overturns Roe v. Wade. Robin Marty is the director of operations for West Alabama Women’s Center, and the author of the “Handbook for Post Roe America.” She says her phone started ringing almost as soon as the news of the leaked draft opinion broke.
“In fact, some of our staff called last night to check and see if they still had jobs, and we were still able to do abortions the next day,” said Marty. “This is going to be a public health nightmare, because so many people have no idea if abortion is, in fact, legal or not in their state, or if they even come in for their appointments without being arrested.”
Supporters and critics of legalized abortion in Alabama have apparently been planning for a “post Roe world.” West Alabama Women’s Center, for example, is preparing to try to provide medical services for women who try to abort their own pregnancies. The Pittsburgh based nonpartisan human rights organization group “Rehumanize International” opposes violence against human beings at any stage of life and circumstances. It advocates against abortion and also the death penalty. Executive director Herb Geraghty told APR back in December, about its plans after any action by the Supreme Court.
“There are a lot of alternatives to abortion. I think that we see in across the country, but also particularly in Alabama, there are pro-life pregnancy centers that exist to equip women and families and pregnant people with the tools they need to thrive with their pregnancies, as well as after birth,” said Geraghty back in December.
A decision to overrule Roe would lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states and could have huge ramifications for this year's elections. It's unclear if the draft represents the court's final word on the matter — opinions often change in the drafting process. A Supreme Court spokeswoman says the court has no comment. The Associated Press couldn't immediately confirm the authenticity of the draft, which if verified marks a shocking revelation of the high court's secretive deliberation process.
