Anti-abortion bills and the future of Roe v. Wade

We discuss the stringent anti-abortion bills passing in statehouses around the country, how they could impact women's health and the challenge they pose to Roe v, Wade.

Listen 49:30
Ashley Garecht speaks as anti-abortion protesters rally near a Planned Parenthood clinic in Philadelphia, Friday, May 10, 2019. The demonstration was spurred by the actions of a Democratic state lawmaker who recorded himself berating an anti-abortion demonstrator at length outside the clinic. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Ashley Garecht speaks as anti-abortion protesters rally near a Planned Parenthood clinic in Philadelphia, Friday, May 10, 2019. The demonstration was spurred by the actions of a Democratic state lawmaker who recorded himself berating an anti-abortion demonstrator at length outside the clinic. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Guests: David Cohen, Jennifer Conti, Tom Stevens

A slew of new anti-abortion bills have been making their way through statehouses around the country. A bill that many say amounts to an all-out ban on abortion is awaiting the Governor’s signature in Alabama, and Georgia is considering a bill with similarly stringent and punitive measures to deter abortions. In Pennsylvania, too, there’s a new bill that would outlaw terminating a pregnancy based on a prenatal diagnosis of Down’s Syndrome, and another mirrors the so-called ‘heartbeat bill’ in Georgia. Many are concerned that these bills are intended to reach the Supreme Court in an attempt to overturn Roe v. Wade. Today, we’ll talk about these new bills from a legal and medical perspective with DAVID S. COHEN, law professor at Drexel University, and JENNIFER CONTI, Clinical Assistant Professor in Obstetrics & Gynecology at Stanford University. But first; Pennsylvania State Representative Brian Sims found himself at the center of controversy after releasing a video of himself berating a Planned Parenthood protestor. In response, antiabortion activists held a rally against bullying, demanding that Sims resign. We’ll be joined by President and CEO of the Philadelphia Pro-Life Union, TOM STEVENS, to discuss the rally and the incident regarding Rep. Sims.

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