Gearing Up for a Post-Roe America

Family policy matters and engaging and informative weekly radio show and podcast produced by the North Carolina family policy Council hi this is John Ralston, presidency, family, and were grateful to have you with us for this week's program is our prayer that you will be informed, encouraged and inspired by what you hear on family policy matters and that you will for better equipped to be a voice of persuasion for family values in your community, state and nation, and now here's our house to family policy matters Tracy to Yvette Griggs thanks for joining us this week for family policy matters for nearly half a century times. Sometimes hundreds of thousands of Americans peacefully come together in our nations capital. Every January to stand up for life this January, the mood at the annual March for life was markedly more upbeat, and for good reason.

The US Supreme Court is currently considering a case that could potentially be a major turning point in abortion policy here in the US soon label serves as state policy director for the Susan B.

Anthony list Sue label welcome to family policy matters hello, thanks for having me.

Will the US Supreme Court is considering a potentially landmark pro-life case, what is the question being considered in the Dobbs case and what's at stake is a great question. I think for some it may be in making confusing out of faith day cases out of Mississippi and 2018 Mississippi past a bill that would limit abortion at 15 weeks, something we've been waiting for. Really since Roe was decided in 1973. The question is can I state limit abortion doesn't have the jurisdiction to limit abortion prior to when a baby is a viable, which means the baby can live outside the womb that you have seen lots state Taft-Hartley bill. Even the 15 week for our probably bill or whatever all of those on their faith have never been upheld in court because the baby is not viable and fixedly 10 week 30 fifteenths of the question really is a much broader question than the case itself and the question is can the state limit abortion prior to viability, and if the answer is yes it will just destroy Roe versus Wade.

No, what this will also mean is, it will return it back to the people of the state, which is where it came from before the United States to bring court overreached in 1973. And so for the first time in almost 50 years will have the opportunity to pass ambitious laws at the state level. It's possible that they'll overturn Roe. It's possible that Bill pulled 15 weeks, it's possible to lose something else.

But this is the key question on the table and why now, why is this a time that they would potentially consider this that is a great question and actually with eight of the court can be very unpredictable and so were not sure why they do what they do but what is extremely obvious is that since 1973 we have not gone along graciously to this still intact heating up even more lately in the last few years.

Heartbeat Bill 15 week bill discrimination against babies with Down syndrome and things like that before death before viability. All of these things take tumbling down and pushing and pushing so as not to get settled anytime soon going to have to take something because all of our courts are getting clogged up with all these cases and state just are backing down. The other thing we know it, of course, was very excited about. It's no secret that that under Pres. Trump. He was able to appoint three conservative Supreme Court justices, and so we feel like this is the best shot with.

We've had in quite some time as the best court.

We can we can go to in quite that long time if it ever since Roe so we don't know how the court will rule did we get some indication though of what the justices may be thinking during oral arguments that were given back in December it still possible for justices to change their mind.

We know that they take out pre-vote secretly amongst themselves and they get a lot of each other and go back and forth. But on December 1 we thought that those oral arguments went very well and we work were cautiously optimistic.

Even if the Chief Justice noted how extreme our US abortion laws are so a lot of good information came out questioning was good and solid, and even like I said, the Chief Justice mentioned how extreme our laws are so I think we got the point across pretty well and so that gives us a lot of hope when we expect a ruling probably this summer.

In the past, the court has tended to issue some of the biggest or most controversial opinions in late June. The work we kind of got June on our calendar.

This is before they leave for their summer break right as they walked out the door so we were all kind of looking at late June. So what can states be doing in the meantime to prepare for that ruling. No matter which way it goes right now.

Most state legislatures are in session for year-round, but mistakes are just part time. Starting in January of any given year, January through April, May, maybe sometimes June, but that's it.

So then if you want to make a log back in the next January so we can have a few short months, thanks to get ready and then their sessions going to end later in the spring so were doing the research were communicating with our allies and legislators around the country about what laws they already have on the books. Some states already have a free Roe band band before Roe versus Wade which, if those laws were removed, then theoretically could be banned after Roe versus Wade or they have what we call a trigger law that says if the Supreme Court ever reverses Roe then our state will make abortion illegal, and by the way couple of those states and make it legal and so were talking with them about their long already on the books whether they need to be updated and what new legislation they should consider immediately.

Now, before they adjourn before June. So, have you looked in North Carolina and how are we looking in North Carolina you have abortion is illegal after viability, so in the state of North Carolina. Abortion can happen. Up until viability, which is generally considered… The court at around 24 weeks you didn't pass a 20 week band because a baby can feel pain at that time that is quite some time ago. Now we know that a baby can feel pain. It 15 maybe even as early as 12 weeks. North Carolina did that but it was enjoined in the court and still is there still an injunction for that they are still at viability. Pathologic to prohibit discriminatory abortions like him. A baby has Down syndrome. For example, or because of the baby sex sex flexion, but we know that your governor vetoed that last year so so you're still in viability. If the Supreme Court does return the power to the states to ban pre-viability abortion. It'll stay legal in North Carolina and show your legislature and your governor does something about that. So the suggestion for light, it would be to go for a more comprehensive band on abortion if your legislature is not in session at that time will couple other legislatures around the country are saying that they're going to call a special session, governor, or in some cases the legislature can call itself back into session to deal with that. It'll be a huge issue you will just walk the country, you know, it'll just be a rock 'n' roll kind of day or month in North Carolina, though, you're going to have to be realistic and careful about what you can do given the fact that your governor is not her life and/or any any hesitation within your legislature so it's gonna come down to your legislature to pass the laws and know come down to your governor to find them and/or the legislature to override them. So elections matter, they do matter in mattering more and more in the state level. These days, but it's not just all about laws is that I mean we really need to persuade the hearts and minds of people. Yes, that's so true it really is true when it it's the same way with a lot of thing now we can pass laws, but what we really want to do is make abortion not just illegal but unthinkable. So this is aquacultural or a moral or ethical kind of issue as well to change hearts and minds of people in our communities and so we need to continue to do even even if Roe is overturned completely. There will still be states that will make it legal. Really what's going to happen in the Dobbs cases that if they overturn Roe the give it back to the state. States like New York and New Jersey and Illinois another's other to keep it legal and so you're gonna see just like before Roe get the women traveling to go get it abortion in different day and age we have since 1973. We know that in some of those states where it would be legal there making it a tourist destination. There putting incentives on hotel and travel and it's all for abortion but really talking to your neighbors. Our church communities are civic communities really just talking about you know the scourge that is abortion attempt kill babies and kill the souls of women with a so so many times women and their regret. We have millions of women in this country and frankly, when they hear these debates on TV or in the evening news as they see the rioting or whatever it is very hurtful as well.

But the other side that doesn't care about that. I just want to keep that legal we need to make abortion unthinkable.

We need to also help women heal and help families move forward. How do the United States. Abortion laws compared to other countries around the world. That's a great question and I think shocking to a lot of people to learn that we are just one of seven countries around the world including China and North Korea that allow late-term abortion on demand.

After five months or more than halfway through pregnancy well after. Science shows that that baby can feel that abortion there just one of seven nations in those dark accommodations. We really want to be in the same company with anyway with her civil rights problems and things like that so were not in good company.

Also, we know newer research just came out a few months ago, the 47/5040 7/15 European nations limit elective abortion even before 15 weeks, like the Mississippi law, which is at the center of the Dobbs case so even if the Supreme Court comes down on for hearing weeks, which they don't have to. But that's what's on the table then were still behind Europe as most of Europe limits it before that anyway so we are really extreme. People may not realize either how aggressive Planned Parenthood and other abortion advocates are to exporting this view of abortion on demand all my goodness, yes, in fact, it depends on the president so under Democratic president. We started sending money overseas for abortion and then when Trump came in. Recall that the Mexico City policy on the first day in office. He stopped that and then literally Pres. Biden on his first day in office open the spigots again for money overseas. There are global abortion providers sending the abortion pills, either by mail or on ships going from shore to shore. I mean it's just kind of crazy but the abortion industry. It is truly become a business model and an industry you will follow the money. That kind of thing. It is not unlike what some people say, called big Pharma, or things like that of things that we use every day.

So this is become big business a big industry is a big moneymaker will thank you so much for just about out of time. Where can our listeners go to learn more about your work there at the Susan B. Anthony list.

Our website is SBA list LISP.Ward we have a lot of scientific and pro-life facts and medical facts like fetal pain and other things at our Charlotte closure Institute website and then also Charlotte closure has launched a beautiful new web salt is a website called voyage of life.com voyage feel why a GE of life.com which shows the development of a baby from conception and on into viability and birth and at the 15 week mark. What happens is that the big case you know when pain starts and in recognition of things is just absolutely absolutely stunning. That's voyage of life.com but our overall umbrella organization is SBA stands for Susan B. Anthony list LISP.org sue leave Allstate policy director for the Susan B. Anthony list. Thanks so much for being with us on family policy matters. You been listening to family policy matters.

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