Chicago – January 06, 2023
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld Idaho’s near-total abortion ban in medical emergencies on Friday. In addition, the court agreed to hear the dispute between state officials and the administration of President Joe Biden regarding the legality of the Republican-backed measure.
Idaho officials petitioned the justices to temporarily revoke a federal judge’s order against the state’s abortion legislation. The justices granted the request after concluding that the state must comply with a federal law mandating emergency “stabilizing care” for patients.
The case sets the stage for another dispute over abortion access following the June 2022 overturning by the conservative majority-controlled Supreme Court of the landmark Roe v. Wade decision of 1973, which legalized the practice of abortion on a national level. In the Idaho case, it is anticipated that arguments will be presented in April, followed by a decision by the end of June.
Biden stated that the Supreme Court’s decision to permit Idaho to enforce its strict abortion prohibition “denies women federally mandated emergency abortion care.”
The justices are also scheduled to hear another significant case on reproductive rights in the coming months, which pertains to the Biden administration’s effort to maintain widespread availability of the abortion medication mifepristone.
