Mississippi News
Report: SCOTUS will overturn Roe v. Wade in Mississippi abortion case
Report: U.S. Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade in Mississippi abortion case
The U.S. Supreme Court has voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, likely ending the right to abortion in the United States and all but ensuring that the procedure becomes illegal in Mississippi and many other states, Politico reported Monday night.
Politico obtained a draft majority opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito and labeled “Opinion of the Court,” in which the justices sided with the state of Mississippi in the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.
“We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled,” Alito writes in the draft document, referring to the 1992 case that mostly upheld the right to abortion. “It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people's elected representatives.”
In a statement, the Mississippi Attorney General's Office, which argued the state's position before the Supreme Court, said the Politico report and the opinion to which it linked could not be verified.
“We will let the Supreme Court speak for itself and wait for the Court's official opinion,” Attorney General Lynn Fitch said.
The Court's opinion on the case was widely expected to come in June. The document obtained by Politico is a draft that could change before the Court's final ruling. The leak of the document is the first time in modern history that a Court opinion has become public before it issues its ruling, Politico reported.
If ultimately adopted by the Court, the ruling would overturn a 49-year-old precedent, arguing that the 7-2 decision in 1973 was “egregiously wrong from the start.”
Mississippi is one of several states with “trigger laws” that will automatically ban abortion, with few exceptions, if the Court overturns Roe.
The Washington, D.C.-based news organization reported that during an initial vote on the case after oral arguments in December, Alito was joined by conservative justices Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas. The alignment could change before the opinion is finalized, and justices often make multiple rounds of revisions before releasing a ruling.
Politico reported that the three Democratic-appointed justices, Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor, are working on one or more draft dissent opinions.
The publication reported that the position of Chief Justice John Roberts, who has shown more reticence than his fellow Republican appointees to overturn past rulings on abortion, is unclear.
The case stems from a 2018 Mississippi law banning abortions after 15 weeks. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit struck down the law, finding that it ran afoul of the right to an abortion before fetal viability. Mississippi appealed that decision, and the Supreme Court announced it would hear the case in May 2021.
During oral arguments in December, Mississippians on both sides of the issue rallied in Jackson.
At downtown Jackson's Smith Park, the “Abortion Freedom Fighters” rally drew about 100 people.
“Mississippi has always been counted out, but today we showed not just the Supreme Court but the governor — we've shown people that we are not going to let y'all make decisions on our bodies,” said Valencia Robinson, CEO and founder of Mississippi in Action. “Women, pregnant people, nobody. Because if you're taking one right away, you're going to start trying to take other rights away.”
Outside the abortion clinic at the center of the Supreme Court case – the only such clinic in the state – the “Pink House defenders” were guarding the parking lot as they do every day. About 40 anti-abortion protesters prayed, their mouths covered in red tape printed with the word “Life.”
“God almighty visited you and gave you a baby. Will you save it today? Will you love it?” said Coleman Boyd, a regular protester at the clinic.
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Mississippi News
On/off weekend rain
SUMMARY: The weather in Columbus, Mississippi is expected to have scattered showers and thunderstorms over the weekend. Temperatures will be in the low to middle 60s at night and low to middle 80s during the day. There is a chance of showers during the Starkville Derby weenie dog race, with cloudy conditions and breaks of sun. Temperatures will continue to rise into the upper 80s and potentially lower 90s next week with on and off rain. Overnight lows will remain mild in the low 60s to low 70s. Stay prepared for rain with rain gear as showers and storms are expected.
The post On/off weekend rain appeared first on www.wcbi.com
Mississippi News
Jackson pastor concerned about sinkhole near bridge
SUMMARY: The pastor of Cornerstone Missionary Baptist Church in Jackson is calling for the condemnation of a bridge on Martin Luther King Boulevard near his church due to safety concerns. The bridge has been a problem for nearly a decade, with a large sinkhole recently appearing. The pastor is advocating for the city to take action, as the bridge has already been the site of a fatal accident and lacks guardrails. While repairs are being made, the pastor believes the street should be shut down to prevent further accidents. The City of Jackson has not responded to inquiries about the issue.
The post Jackson pastor concerned about sinkhole near bridge appeared first on www.wjtv.com
Mississippi News
Shopping trips ends with shoplifting charges for Lee County women
SUMMARY: Two Lee County women, Marie Thomas and Brandy Allred, were arrested in Tupelo for a substantial shoplifting case where they took over $1,000 worth of merchandise. Thomas was charged with felony shoplifting and her bond was set at $5,000, while Allred was also identified as a suspect in two grand larceny cases and was charged with felony shoplifting and two counts of grand larceny, with a bond set at $50,000. The incident occurred in February at a business on South Green Street in Tupelo. Follow WCBI on Facebook for continuous news updates.
The post Shopping trips ends with shoplifting charges for Lee County women appeared first on www.wcbi.com
-
Mississippi Today6 days ago
On this day in 1951
-
SuperTalk FM1 day ago
Driver’s education set to become mandatory in Mississippi as bill passes
-
SuperTalk FM4 days ago
Festival merger in Leland sets up one major event for Mississippi Delta
-
Mississippi News7 days ago
One injured in Mississippi officer-involved shooting after chase
-
SuperTalk FM5 days ago
PERS bill set to phase in employer rate increase heads to governor’s desk
-
Mississippi Business3 days ago
Geartek expanding operations in Alcorn County
-
Mississippi News4 days ago
Two women accused of shoplifting across southeast captured in Mississippi
-
Mississippi News2 days ago
Altercation at Mississippi police department leads to officer-involved shooting