By the numbers:
20 weeks is the point at which abortion is illegal in many states
24 weeks is generally when fetuses are considered “viable”
40 weeks is how long the average pregnancy lasts
Source: The Associated Press
The Supreme Court rejected a proposed Arizona ban of abortions after 20 weeks into the pregnancy.
Several other states, including Indiana, have similar bans that the decision will not affect.
Supporters of the ban believe the bill protected women’s rights and prevented fetuses from feeling pain, and they expressed disappointment at the rejection.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected Arizona’s attempt to ban most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
The decision doesn’t disturb most of the similar prohibitions that other states have on the books.
On Monday, the justices declined to reconsider a lower court ruling that says the law violates a woman’s constitutionally protected right to terminate a pregnancy before a fetus is able to survive outside the womb.
“Viability” of a fetus is generally considered to start at 24 weeks. Normal pregnancies run about 40 weeks.
Gov. Jan Brewer signed the ban into law in April 2012. Nine other states have enacted similar bans starting at 20 weeks or even earlier.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last year said such bans violate a long string of Supreme Court rulings starting with the landmark Roe v. Wade decision in 1973.
However, most other states’ 20-week bans haven’t been challenged in court, and the 9th Circuit’s ruling is binding only in its nine-state territory, which also includes Idaho.
Other states with 20-week bans include Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Texas.
Supporters of the Arizona ban argued that it protected women’s health and prevented fetuses from experiencing pain. Whether fetuses can feel pain before viability is disputed.
The supporters also expressed disappointment, frustration and determination.
“Often, it takes multiple times before the U.S. Supreme Court will take an issue,” said Cathi Herod, president of the Center for Arizona Policy. “This fight is far, far from over.”
Other states’ bans generally haven’t been challenged because there weren’t doctors whose practices would be affected and who were willing to fight the issue in court, said Janet Crepps, a lawyer for the Center for Reproductive Rights.
Read More
The eyes and ears of the David Owsley Museum of Art
By Madelyn Bracken / 5 days agoThe David Owsley Museum of Art (DOMA) doesn’t only house art. For many Ball State University students, it houses opportunity. Graduate and social media assistant, and former DOMA intern and guard, Taylor Hamblin spent the past two years working at the museum surrounded with possibilities to further her career while at Ball State.
Center for Peace offers academic opportunities
By Meghan Braddy and Grayson Joslin / 6 days agoOver the years, the center has offered a peace studies minor, conflict resolution training and grant funding.
AP: New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 conviction
By Staff Reports / 6 days agoNew York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with “egregious” improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case, according to the Associated Press (AP).
