States have passed a record-breaking 106 new pro-life laws so far in 2021. This easily surpasses the cumulative number of pro-life laws that have been enacted in any other single year since the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion nationwide in Roe v. Wade 48 years ago.
Though reading the news can often be depressing and infuriating, pro-life supporters should take a moment to celebrate this monumental achievement. The pro-life movement is gaining ground across America.
In July, The Daily Citizen reported that in just the first six months of the year, 94 new pro-life laws had been passed, which at the time was also a new record.
Now, at least 12 more can be added to the tally.
The Guttmacher Institute, the research arm of the nation’s top abortion seller Planned Parenthood, notes that “not only is 106 the highest number of restrictions passed since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, but also this year is the first time that Guttmacher’s count of enacted restrictions has hit triple digits.”
The previous record was 89 new laws set in 2011.
Photo Credit: The Guttmacher Institute
The pro-abortion research arm notes that the 106 new restrictions have been enacted by 19 different states and 12 of the new laws have placed a limit on when a pre-born baby can be aborted.
The states that have passed the most pro-life legislation this year include:
- Arkansas (20)
- Oklahoma (16)
- Indiana, Montana, South Dakota (9)
Some of the laws that have been passed are:
- Heartbeat Bills, which prohibit abortion after a preborn baby’s heartbeat can be detected – usually around six weeks gestation (Texas, South Carolina, Oklahoma and Idaho).
- Total abortion bans, with some exceptions (Oklahoma, Arkansas).
- Ban on abortion after a preborn baby is 15 weeks old (Mississippi).
So, what has happened to make 2021 one of the most successful years ever for the pro-life movement?
It can be summarized in three words: the Supreme Court.
During his 2016 presidential campaign, former President Donald Trump promised to appoint pro-life justices to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Once in office, he was able to choose three justices, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett – replacing conservative stalwart Justice Antonin Scalia, the moderate swing voter Justice Anthony Kennedy and the liberal icon Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg.
Because of the new additions, many pro-life leaders and state legislators are betting that the high court is finally ready to grant states more latitude in enacting pro-life legislation, hence the massive number of newly enacted laws that protect preborn babies.
Of course, the nation’s highest court should never have gotten involved in the debate over abortion. Under the U.S. Constitution, the issue should be left up to the states. But since it did, this is the reality of the world we now live in.
Pro-life leaders should especially look forward to the Supreme Court’s consideration of whether to overturn or weaken Roe v. Wade in an upcoming case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which will be argued on December 1.
Federal courts have gotten involved and blocked many of the good pro-life laws that have been passed in 2021. Of the 13 states that have enacted Heartbeat Bills, only Texas’ is currently in force.
Let’s pray that soon, all states will be able to protect preborn babies from the moment they come into existence: at conception.
Related articles:
Record Number of Pro-Life Laws Enacted in First Six Months of 2021 – Some States Fight Back
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