With the fate of Roe v. Wade still in the balance, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to issue its ruling on a landmark case in the coming days. Many court watchers thought the high court would rule on abortion today, but that much-anticipated decision has not yet been released.
The court could release more opinions on short notice this week, but it typically announces decisions on Mondays.
Advocates on both sides of the abortion debate have been on heightened alert ever since a draft opinion was leaked May 2 indicating that the high court may be poised to strike down Roe and return the abortion question back to each state to decide.
Over the next few weeks, the Supreme Court will release several opinions as the current term concludes later this month. One of those opinions will be the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization,
If Roe were overturned it would not stop or even restrict abortions in Alaska, but only affirm that the state has a right to do so.
Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor signed onto an amicus brief, joining 22 other states in urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe in the Dobbs case. The brief was filed in support of a Mississippi law that bans abortion at 15 weeks of pregnancy unless performed to address a physical medical emergency or because of severe fetal abnormalities. Mississippi has asked the high court to reverse Roe and affirm that states have a right to ban or restrict abortions.
If the court agrees, it could reverse the 1973 Roe v. Wade opinion that legalized abortion across the nation. Since that time, more than 62 million unborn babies have been killed by abortion.
While reversing Roe would have no immediate impact on Alaska, it would allow some 20 states with pro-life laws on the books to begin enforcing them.
In Alaska, abortion activists are gathering to determine what steps they should take if Roe is overturned. On June 8, Planned Parenthood is holding an online meeting called “After the Rally,” with the aim of brainstorming what actions the pro-abortion movement will take in what it calls the “fight for abortion rights in Alaska.”
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For pro-life Alaskans, the future is also uncertain. If Roe were overturned it would not stop or even restrict abortions in Alaska, but only affirm that the state has a right to do so. Alaska’s abortion laws are among the most liberal in the nation, and the Alaska Supreme Court has struck down every legislative, executive or citizen-led attempt to restrict or ban the killing of unborn babies. Not only does Alaska fail to restrict abortion even modestly, it also publicly underwrites the procedures with state allocated Medicaid funds.
In an attempt to address the court’s insistence on abortion rights, Alaska Sen. Shelley Hughes introduced a resolution to amend the Alaska Constitution by explicitly clarifying that “to protect human life, nothing in this constitution may be construed to secure or protect a right to an abortion or require the State to fund an abortion.” Hughes’ bill, however, died in the Senate Finance Committee this year.
Some pro-life advocates have argued that Alaska could address the abortion question through a constitutional convention. Every 10 years Alaskans are asked whether to call a Constitutional Convention. The next opportunity is this November. While Alaskans have never successfully convened a constitutional convention since statehood, there has been much more debate and discussion about the matter this year.
Others argue that the State Legislature needs to use its constitutional authority to explicitly define what the “right to privacy” means in Alaska Constitution, and clarify to the State Supreme Court that it does not entail abortion.
8 Comments
What side of this question do you think our Lisa Murkowski is on, saving the unborn, or ripping them out of the womb?
There are things we can do immediately: 1. Demand Gov. Dunleavy stop paying for abortions instantly and if he doesn’t, rally round a real pro-lifer for governor, instead of splitting the vote AGAIN. 2. Identify the members of the Finance Committee – spotlight RINOS – who ensured the death of Sen. Hughes’ pro-life resolution, and remind voters of them at election time. Likewise for Revak and those in Any party, who speak but ensure the death of pro-life measures behind the scenes. 3. Support the Alaska Watchman! In our efforts to stop the slaughter in Alaska; I submit that the Watchman is as key to victory for women & unborn children in Alaska as the overturn of Roe is to America as a whole. United we can stand behind AUTHENTICALLY pro-life candidates, and the Watchman has made it possible to identify WHO those TRULY PRO-LIFE candidates are.
I’m not sure going after Dunleavy makes much sense to the anti-abortion cause. As per the article AK is a libertarian state & sadly generally supports abortion. Dunlavy has to be practical or we could end up with some liberal wacko on abortion. Sheese, even Lisa’s own bishop won’t refuse her communion, can we expect moderate pols defy the public on the issue? We are light years away from winning the abortion argument with the public, so the ball in in our court to persuade the public long first before we can expect political wins with pols. So it’s better to just take incremental steps. I do agree one of the strongest doable pro-life moves is to shut down public funding of abortion (using a fiscal argument to get more buy-in) and to publicize pro-abort “conservatives” like Lisa or Revak from the rooftops. But I would go easy on pro-life moderate pols like Dunlevy or we will soon lose what we have.
Murkowski is unconcerned with losing the pro-life vote, period. She isn’t even neutral on the issue but actively preventing getting Planned Parenthood removed from Family Planning Services in Title X. Simply evil. And this is a “Catholic” Senator, one whose bishop calls out priests who try to do something about her. It’s just one more example how far behind pro-lifers are in AK are from persuading the public, generations away from any meaningful change (most likely it will go the other way; I’m just hoping we can prevent forced abortions like China has). So pro lifers need to get realistic, go after the easier wins, and go for the long game, starting with our own people first. If we can’t win those fights…
It is obvious that those in power are controlling the discussion, actively advocating abortion and its funding without any sense of the value of human life. Pray that those who are good and godly are elected to power places and protect them and their families as they navigate through the decisions needing to be made. Pray for an awakening and revival of Christians in the state who need to do their research of candidates and VOTE. We voted for Governor Dunleavy but he has failed to be reachable or respond to these critical issues Alaska keeps facing. If our Attorney General joined the amicus brief then what is the delay on defunding abortions being paid for by the state? Therese is right. Those RINOS need to be exposed as they wheel and deal behind closed doors. Governor Dunleavy also could have instructed Lt. Governor Kevin Meyer to remove the Dominion machines and clean up the voter rolls. These people who can help us are not doing their jobs but are still collecting a high salary. No judge should be retained who does not believe in the original intent of the Constitution. Pray for honest elections and join the daily minute of prayer daily at 5 pm. Go to the website to find out more.
Steve, We think that Lisa Murkowski sells her vote to the highest bidder on either side of the aisle without a conscience. Pray that she loses to Tsibaka!
STOP the Killings
I have not seen democrats this upset since Republicans took their slaves away.
This willingness to commit human sacrifice today via abortion is no different than what many cultures have done throughout history. The rationale for this – interrupt career / not financially stable / want to travel / not ready to settle down (which the overwhelming majority of abortion decisions are made upon) – will one day be viewed as egregious as Aztecs sacrificing humans to stop drought, pestilence, or disease.
Don’t forget, half the population in the mid 1800’s didn’t see anything significantly wrong with slavery.
Historical perspective exposes all immoral and unethical practices, behaviors, and acts for what they are.
The modern day genocide of millions of babies will be viewed, one day, as this era’s gravest sin.