Mississippi abortion ‘trigger law’ to take effect following Supreme Court ruling

PINE BELT, Miss. (WDAM) - Friday morning, the U.S. Supreme Court voted to strike down Roe V. Wade.

The 1973 ruling originally guaranteed the right to an abortion at the federal level. But, by a 5-4 vote, justices said abortion rights will now be determined by individual states - unless Congress acts.

Mississippi is one of 13 states with what’s called a “trigger law” that was passed in case Roe V. Wade was overturned.

Republican senator Joey Fillingane authored that bill, which passed in 2007. It bans abortion except to save the life of the mother or in cases of rape or incest.

“What the trigger law says is that after a 10-day certification period, then there will be no abortions, period, in the State of Mississippi, except in cases to save the life of the mother, rape or incest,” said Fillingane. “In about a week-and-a-half, you’ll have zero abortions taking place at the clinic in Jackson, or in hospitals or any place else, except to save the life of the mother, or if its proven and not just an allegation, of a rape or an incest.”

Fillingane also co-sponsored the 2018 Mississippi abortion law that was upheld by Friday’s high court ruling.

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