Sean Hannity suggested on Tuesday that if the Supreme Court indeed overturns Roe v. Wade, the 1973 law legalizing abortion nationwide, that shouldn’t be cause for concern.
After all, the Fox host claimed, “there won’t be a loss of abortion access.” While “there might be restrictions in some states,” he added, “there’s going to be plenty of opportunities for everyone that wants one.”
Hannity’s comments are far from a fair portrayal of the consequences of the high court leaving the issue to be decided at the state level. According to the Guttmacher Institute, 23 states have laws that could be used to limit access to abortions if Roe is overturned. That includes 13 states that currently have in place “trigger bans,” meaning abortions would essentially be prohibited immediately upon the Supreme Court’s ruling.
ADVERTISEMENT
Last week, for instance, Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt signed into a law a measure that would ban abortions after about six weeks—before many women are aware that they’re pregnant—and includes no exception for rape or incest.
Modeled after a law already on the books in Texas, the legislation would also allow individuals to sue anyone who not only performs an abortion but even so much as drives anyone seeking an abortion to a clinic, with a reward of at least $10,000. Stitt approved the law less than a month after signing another bill that would make it a felony to perform an abortion, with a maximum punishment of a $100,000 fine and 10 years in prison.
