Politics: Texas Abortion Providers Grapple with New Reality Under Restrictive Law

Politics with Amy Walter

Texas Abortion Providers Grapple with New Reality Under Restrictive Law

On Wednesday, one of the most restrictive ever abortion rights laws in the U.S. went into effect in the Lone Star state. Called SB8, it bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, before most people even know they’re pregnant. While it doesn't’ reverse Roe v Wade, it does circumvent it.

The Legal Questions Surrounding Texas's Restrictive Abortion Law

At midnight on Wednesday, the Supreme Court of the United States effectively overturned Roe v. Wade in a 5-4, page-and-a-half, unsigned, decision delivered without the court receiving briefings or hearing arguments.

Before Roe v Wade there was the Jane Collective

We take a look at how activists worked to provide abortions prior to Roe v. Wade with a look at the Jane Collective, a group that operated out of Chicago and performed thousands of abortions between 1969 and 1973. Melissa speaks with her mother about her work in Washington between 1969-1971 and Laura Kaplan, author of a book about the collective, The Story of Jane: The Legendary Underground Feminist Abortion Service.

A New Jersey Bill Could Expand Reproductive Healthcare

Continuing the discussion of abortion access, The Takeaway looks at New Jersey’s Reproductive Freedom Act that would expand reproductive health and abortion access in the state. In October of 2020, a coalition of organizations called Thrive New Jersey worked with state legislators to introduce the bill. It has been stalled in the legislature for almost a year now, but after Texas’ restrictive abortion law went into effect this week, there has been a new push for New Jersey’s Legislature to take action.

For segment, see individual segment pages.