U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Arguments in Major Abortion Case

On December 1, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, an abortion case from Mississippi with the potential to seriously challenge Roe v. Wade and other decisions that have found a constitutional right to have an abortion in the first six months of pregnancy, before a fetus can survive outside the womb. Mississippi's law bans most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals blocked enforcement of the law and the state appealed to the Supreme Court, asking it to overturn its decisions in Roe and in Planned Parenthood v. Casey. The case has drawn additional attention following the Court's recent decision to refuse to block a Texas law outlawing most abortions after 6 weeks of pregnancy. See SCOTUSblog, NPR.