ST. LOUIS– The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling Friday in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a case involving Mississippi’s ban on abortions after 15 weeks, will have almost an immediate impact on abortion access in Missouri.

The court ruled that Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that established abortion rights, “was egregiously wrong and on a collision course with the Constitution from the day it was decided,” and further said “The Constitution does not prohibit the citizens of each State from regulating or prohibiting abortion. Roe and Casey arrogated that authority. The Court overrules those decisions and returns that authority to the people and their elected representatives.”

 

 

 

A 2019 Missouri law included a “trigger” clause to outlaw all abortions except for medical emergencies in the event that the precedent set in Roe vs. Wade was ever overturned in the future. The clause could be triggered by an executive order from the Governor, a legal opinion from the Attorney General, or a concurrent resolution from the General Assembly. 

Governor Parson’s office has already said the order would be ready to go as soon as the court ruled. 

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt also issued a legal opinion, what his office says was the first in the country.

A 2017 Illinois law removed similar “trigger” language there. 

In 2019 Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed sweeping legislation that established women’s access to the procedure as a “fundamental right” and required insurance coverage for abortion, contraception and related medical care.

With more than a dozen states having some form of trigger legislation in place, Illinois expects to see patients from around the country seeking abortion services descend on the state and the Planned Parenthood Regional Logistics Center in Fairview Heights, where the organization says it has already seen more than 1,000 patients from out of state since January.

Following the ruling, Pritzker said he would call lawmakers into a special session to "more firmly protect abortion rights."

"Let me make this explicit and clear to women throughout our state, the Midwest, and our nation: Illinois will be a safe haven for the exercise of your reproductive rights. In Illinois, Roe v. Wade is still the law, and it will remain the law as long as we have a pro-choice legislature and a pro-choice governor. Here, we trust you to make your own decisions about your reproductive health. We will defend your right to bodily autonomy,” he said.

Friday morning, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and U.S. Rep. Cori Bush came to Planned Parenthood’s St. Louis facility for a roundtable discussion on abortion access, and Bacerra was expected to tour the Fairview Heights center.

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones released a statement that said in part, "Abortion is healthcare, and it should be safe and accessible to all who need it. Our right to make our own healthcare decisions is an inalienable one, no matter what. As mayor, I will fight like hell to protect reproductive healthcare and give St. Louisans the support they need to make the best decisions for themselves and their families."

St. Louis County Executive Sam Page said "Rolling back Roe triggers a major public health crisis in Missouri, where our state legislature has already discussed some of the most extreme laws in the country. Abortion should be legal, safe, accessible, and affordable. Therefore, our health department will consult with every abortion provider and use every resource of St. Louis County government to ensure County employees and residents have access to the services they need to stay healthy."