Abortion

Could A GOP Victory In 2012 Mean The End Of Roe v Wade?

Sahil Kapur | January 24, 2012, 5:25AM

Anti-abortion demonstrators in Washington, DC.

The landmark Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade has long been used as a political football, but abortion rights activists warn that it could soon be making a final play.

Sunday, January 22 marked the 39th anniversary of the decision, and more than ever the case's fate could ride on the outcome of a presidential election. Republican presidential candidates have declared that they want to see the ruling reversed -- and the ideological trajectory of the modern Supreme Court is conducive to their goals.

The case was decided 7-2, but the bench is notably more conservative today than 1973. Pro-choice advocates fear that replacing one of the four liberal-leaning justices with a conservative -- not beyond the pale if a Republican defeats President Obama in November -- could potentially result in a 5-4 decision to overturn the lynchpin pro-choice ruling, which would allow states to criminalize all abortions.

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Planned Parenthood

NC Gov. Bev Perdue Vetoes Abortion Restricting Bill

Jessica Kim | June 28, 2011, 3:58PM

Gov. Bev Perdue (D-NC)

Gov. Bev Perdue (D-NC) on Monday vetoed a bill that would have required women seeking abortions to wait for 24 hours and receive ultrasound images of the fetus along with descriptions of what they are seeing before having the procedure.

"This bill is a dangerous intrusion into the confidential relationship that exists between women and their doctors. The bill contains provisions that are the most extreme in the nation in terms of interfering with that relationship," Perdue said in a statement to the Raleigh News & Observer.

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