A near-midnight U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allows Texas to enact a sweeping anti-abortion law will likely have deep ramifications across the country for the constitutional right to abortion established by Roe v. Wade. The law—which prohibits abortions six weeks after “cardiac activity” is detected also provides fresh insight into the court’s new conservative majority following former President Donald Trump’s appointments, says legal scholar Daniel Urman.
The 5-4 decision comes as justices prepare to hear a Mississippi law that would ban most abortions after 15 weeks. News@Northeastern spoke to Urman, who teaches a course on public policy and the Supreme Court, to get his thoughts on the decision and what it means for pregnant people and abortion access across the country. His comments have been edited for clarity.
