LAX Leader

June 24 marks two years since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and effectively ended federal protections for the right to abortion.

USC experts are available to discuss how the landmark ruling has significantly changed reproductive rights and access across the country, and how these critical issues might shape voter behavior and decisions in the upcoming presidential election.

Contact: Nina Raffio, raffio@usc.edu or (213) 442-8464; USC Media Relations, uscnews@usc.edu or (213) 740-2215

Supreme Court blocks abortion pill ban, but experts warn legal battles are ‘far from over’

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously rejected an effort to limit access to the abortion pill mifepristone.

“The Supreme Court gave women’s bodies a momentary reprieve from further regulation by the government by dismissing the mifepristone case on the ground that the activist doctors lacked standing. What the public needs to understand is that this is a procedural ruling and not a proclamation that the distribution of mifepristone is lawful or that birth control is protected by the Constitution,” said Aya Gruber, an expert in criminal law and procedure, violence against women and feminist legal theory.

“Plaintiffs with standing may lodge the same challenge that the FDA lacked authority to approve mifepristone. Additionally, pro-life groups are dusting off an 1800s obscenity law, the ‘Comstock Act,’ to argue for a national ban on abortion and ‘abortifacient’ drugs, equipment, and even information. This fight is far from over.”

Gruber is the Harold Medill Heimbaugh professor of law at the USC Gould School of Law.

Contact: agruber@law.usc.edu

How most Americans feel about reproductive rights

“Contrary to common speculation, American women are not the only ones in favor of policies protecting a right to choice, and there is little variation between sexes in terms of support for abortion rights,” said Jane Junn, an expert on public opinion, political behavior, polling methods and analysis.

“Indeed, a majority of Americans of all sexes support reproductive freedom, and the most substantial variation is by partisanship with Republican-affiliated voters more supportive of abortion restriction. Nevertheless even states with strong Republican majorities such as Kansas have supported policies to protect abortion rights following Dobbs. Having lost their right to choice at federal level is a rallying point for Democratic Party voters will likely enhance turnout among these Americans in 2024.”

Junn is USC Associates Chair in social sciences professor of political science gender sexuality studies at USC Dornsife College Letters Arts Sciences.

Contact: junn@usc.edu

State ballot initiatives give voters say on abortion post-Dobbs

In November residents Colorado Maryland South Dakota Florida vote on abortion access initiatives six other states advancing similar measures.

“Using referendums has some advantages over traditional legislative path Most important it allows citizens overrule their elected representatives if they dislike state’s policy choice,” wrote John Matsusaka expert direct democracy professor business law political science USC his op-ed POLITICO “Let People Decide Abortion.”

“Opinion surveys on abortion tell us most Americans favor compromise policy somewhere between what activists both sides want—legal abortion early stages pregnancy increasing prohibitions fetus becomes viable,” said Matsusaka executive director Initiative Referendum Institute USC studies tracks ballot measures propositions throughout country.

“If legislators take abortion policy extreme direction real risk age hyper-polarized parties initiatives referendums let voters steer policy back toward center.”

Contact: matsusak@marshall.usc.edu

Preserving access emergency contraception

“The Dobbs decision has not only impacted access to abortion care forcing many women restrictive states travel out-of-state self-manage an abortion but also threatened access contraception which critical prevention pregnancy states where legal abortion no longer option” said Dima Qato expert health policy pharmacoepidemiology drug safety health disparities.

“Efforts expand protect access emergency contraceptives—the only option safe effective prevent pregnancy after contraceptive failure unprotected sexual intercourse rape–should priority many federal state policy public health officials post-Dobbs U.S.”

Qato Hygeia Centennial Chair associate professor USC Alfred E Mann School Pharmacy Pharmaceutical Sciences senior fellow USC Leonard D Schaeffer Center Health Policy Economics.

Contact: qato@usc.edu

Additional Experts:

Annalisa Enrile expert gender equity human rights gender-based violence global social justice Enrile teaching professor social work USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School Social Work provided insights restrictive policies disproportionately affect vulnerable populations including victims sex trafficking domestic violence.

Contact: enrile@usc.edu

###

Christian Grose expert American government political institutions politics policymaking process Grose associate professor USC Dornsife College Letters Arts Sciences academic director USC Schwarzenegger Institute State Global Policy.

Contact: cgrose@usc.edu

###

Sofia Gruskin director USC Institute Inequalities Global Health joint appointments Keck School Medicine USC Gould School Law USC Dornsife Spatial Sciences Institute.

Contact: gruskin@usc.edu

###

Brian Nguyen associate professor clinical obstetrics gynecology Keck School Medicine research focuses men’s access emergency contraception disparities use vasectomy men’s experiences unintended pregnancy.

Contact: nguyenbt@usc.edu

###

Mindy Romero research assistant professor founder director Center Inclusive Democracy USC Price School Public Policy expert political sociology political behavior voting rights civic engagement.

Contact: msromero@usc.edu

###

(Photo/iStock)