With Roe in doubt, states act on abortion limits, expansions

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — It didn't take long for abortion to re-emerge as a flashpoint in state legislatures.

Less than a month into the 2022 legislative sessions, battles over the future of abortion already are setting up around the U.S. Republican lawmakers are proposing new restrictions modeled after laws in Texas and Mississippi that present a direct challenge to the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, while some Democratic-led states are working to preserve or expand access.

The activity in state legislatures was anticipated after the U.S. Supreme Court, with its conservative majority, signaled it was ready to make seismic changes to the nationwide right to abortion that has stood for nearly half a century. If the court overturns Roe v. Wade entirely, the decision on whether to keep abortion legal would fall to the states.

More than 20 states already have laws on the books to ban or dramatically restrict abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned. As legislative sessions begin, several are considering new bans.

“This could be a really, really dramatic year in terms of people’s ability to access abortion care and to decide if, when and how they become a parent,” said Kristin Ford, vice-president of communications and outreach at NARAL Pro-Choice America, a pro-abortion rights group. “At this time next year, we could be looking at a scenario in which more than half of the country has lost access to abortion ... It will have consequences for everyone.”

Against that backdrop, California lawmakers will consider plans this year to become a “sanctuary” for those seeking reproductive care. That could include paying for travel, lodging and procedures for people coming from other states.

“We are confronting an all-out assault on reproductive freedom in America. There are powerful...