Exclusive: Pro-Life Coalition Prepares For SCOTUS to Overturn Roe
By: By Elle Reynolds
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
As the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization on Wednesday, Family Policy Alliance is launching a new website to help state-level activists protect life and aid families in a post- Roe America.
On Wednesday, FPA will introduce a campaign called “ After Roe ,” which will feature a website designed to help educate Americans on their state’s abortion laws and connect them with opportunities to help defend the right to life, in preparation for a reversal of Roe — whether that happens in Dobbs or at some other point in the future.
The Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs , a case evaluating the constitutionality of Mississippi’s ban on nearly all abortions after 15 weeks, gives the court’s conservative majority an opportunity to overturn unconstitutional pro-abortion precedents in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey . Even now, before a Supreme Court decision in Dobbs , the pro-life movement has won state-level victories around the country, leading NARAL Pro-Choice America to declare 2021 “the worst year for abortion rights since Roe was decided.” A prominent example is the Texas law that went into effect in September, which empowered citizens to sue abortion providers for killing babies with detectable heartbeats, effectively banning abortion after unborn babies are six weeks old.
“No matter what happens with Dobbs , we are confident of two things. Roe ’s time is short, and pro-lifers across the country need to prepare for that coming reality now,” Meridian Baldacci, director of strategy for Family Policy Alliance, told The Federalist. But a reversal of Roe by the Supreme Court would not automatically outlaw abortion across the country, either.
“If Dobbs is the case to overturn or dramatically undo Roe , the glass ceiling that Roe imposes on pro-life protections will finally be lifted, meaning that states that are ready to be strongly pro-life (or which already have a ‘trigger law’) will be able to fully protect life right away,” Baldacci said. “If it’s not Dobbs, but another case that will finally undo Roe , we will continue using this time to ensure that state laws are pro-life and citizens are ready for action in their state, so we can truly watch a pro-life transformation occur after Roe .”
If the Supreme Court hands authority on abortion to state lawmakers, many Americans will find themselves wondering: What are the abortion laws in my state? At a time the country too often turns to the federal government to solve its problems, lawmakers in state capitols will suddenly hold the political tools to direct one of the biggest moral and political issues in the nation.
With that proximity comes increased access to change, an opportunity that pro-life advocates can’t afford to pass up. Rather than rest on the laurels of a judicial victory, the pro-life movement should be prepared to step up the moment the Supreme Court lets them.
That’s the goal of the “After Roe” website. It will direct readers toward ways to partner with pro-life groups like Alliance Defending Freedom , the March for Life , the Susan B. Anthony List , Students for Life of America , and more. It will also provide an interactive map for users to quickly research what the abortion laws are in their states.
While the pro-abortion lobby loves to smear pro-life advocates as only concerned about banning abortion and not about caring for mothers, their babies, and their families, the website also makes a point to highlight opportunities to help the moms who consider abortion.
“We have a vision for 50 states where not only are babies saved from abortion, but their moms (and dads) get the real care they need, and pro-life options like adoption are advanced and improved,” Baldacci told The Federalist. “When you visit AfterRoe.com, you’ll be able to connect with pro-life organizations that are already doing the hard work on the ground to protect and care for moms and babies.”
The focus by pro-life groups like Family Policy Alliance on state activism also leans into the American founders’ vision for governance via federalism. A Supreme Court decision overturning Roe would allow states to protect the lives and freedoms of their unborn citizens without being restricted by federal judicial mandates, but a working federal system requires popular involvement at the state level.
“ Roe created a one-way road toward abortion. If your state wanted to loosen or remove abortion restrictions, it was welcome to do so. But if your state wanted to tighten those restrictions and protect life? The options were limited,” Baldacci said. “A decision that returns abortion to the states would free states from the artificial limitations of Roe and allow that state’s citizens – not nine justices – to decide how they would protect life.”
Elle Reynolds is an assistant editor at The Federalist, and received her B.A. in government from Patrick Henry College with a minor in journalism.
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