Abortion Rights in State Constitutions

 

As the U.S. Supreme Court struck down federal protections for abortion access in its Dobbs decision in June 2022, organizations that champion abortion rights have turned to state constitutions and the state courts that interpret them as alternative pathways for litigation.

Conflicts over who sits on state courts, shifting legal arguments, and ballot initiatives to enshrine or repeal language on abortion rights, are all shaping the success of this strategy.