Louisianians react to leaked Supreme Court draft opinion on Roe v. Wade

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - For decades, people have fought over abortion rights after Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that made abortion legal before fetal viability. But, a leaked Supreme Court opinion draft from February indicates Roe v. Wade could be overturned this summer.

“The leak of this opinion was shocking,” said Michelle Erenberg, with Lift Louisiana. “It is so unprecedented for a Supreme Court opinion to be leaked in this manner but I am not surprised that this conservative majority on this court is prepared to overturn Roe v. Wade.”

“Twenty-eight percent of children live in poverty and a lot of women live in poverty, and we can’t even get the legislators to agree to pass to raise the minimum wage in Louisiana. We’re not creating the conditions in this state that make it hospitable or preferable for people to have children, so we can’t be surprised when people are faced with an unplanned pregnancy, don’t feel that they have the support system, or they have the conditions in their life that would allow them to carry that pregnancy to term and make the decision to parent,” explained Erenberg.

But, many people are still praying for an end to abortion, including State Representative Beryl Amedee, R-Houma.

“I’m very excited and expectant that with all that we’ve learned with medical science and all since the early 70s, we can come to some consensus and understand that an unborn human being is a human being, and they deserve a life like everyone else,” said Amedee.

Southern University law professor Regina Ramsey was asked what the leaked opinion could mean for Louisiana.

“What the majority seems to be writing is that it is not the business of the Supreme Court to regulate a matter that is considered to be a state matter, so that if Roe and Casey were overturned, then each state would regulate abortion within its own state,” said Ramsey.

In Louisiana, restrictions would likely be put in place.

“Well, Louisiana has certain trigger laws in place already, so we’re just about ready if Roe v. Wade is overturned, I believe that Louisiana will be on the forefront and a leader in the respect for human life,” noted Amedee.

But, Ramsey makes it clear a leaked draft opinion may not necessarily represent the current majority opinion of the Supreme Court.

“This is unheard of. First of all, the court is still in its deliberative process, and, generally speaking, until the court has actually rendered its decision and released it, it has not decided the case. Justices have been known to change their minds in decisions,” emphasized Ramsey.

“It’s extremely unfortunate, and it’s also very disrespectful to our system of justice to leak opinion before the court has issued its decision,” added Ramsey.

Click here to report a typo.

Copyright 2022 WAFB. All rights reserved.