What follows partial-birth abortion ruling coming into focus slowly

Published: 2007-04-19

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Now that the Supreme Court has ruled that the federal ban on partial-birth abortion is constitutional, what's next? Although it took 34 years since the Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton Supreme Court cases that permitted abortion virtually on demand in the United States, one nationwide restriction on abortion has now passed both political muster and judicial scrutiny. Will it take 34 more years to enact another federal abortion restriction? "I can't make a prediction," said David Masci, a senior research fellow at the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. "This decision has certainly left open the possibility that states can go back and look at some of the abortion restrictions," he told Catholic News Service in an April 19 telephone interview. "From a pro-life or an anti-abortion standpoint, strengthening those laws, possibly -- possibly -- by removing the health exception" would be one tactic, he said. Pro-lifer supporters argue that a health exception can be used to justify any abortion. The partial-birth abortion ban contains only an exception for the life of the mother.

Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .