While the hard left mobilizes for another “summer of rage” should a majority of Supreme Court justices stick to their earlier decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, as evidenced by the unprecedented leak of a draft opinion earlier this month that has shattered the integrity of yet another founding institution, several Republican governors are prepared to act immediately to protect the sanctity of life.
Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts said on Sunday that he plans on calling a special session of the state’s legislature if the landmark 1973 Roe ruling is overturned, which — according to the most recent indications — is expected (the leaked ruling returns the issue to states to decide individually, it does not ban the procedure outright).
“Nebraska is a pro-life state,” Ricketts said . “I believe life begins at conception. And those are babies, too.
“So, if Roe vs. Wade, which was a horrible constitutional decision, gets overturned by the Supreme Court, which we’re hopeful of, here in Nebraska, we’re going to take further steps to protect those pre-born babies,” the governor noted further.
If the ruling is overturned, Ricketts said he will “work with our speaker of the legislature to work on a special session and do more to protect pre-born babies.” He added that his abortion bill would not include exceptions for rape or incest, Fox News reported.
Meanwhile, Gov. Kristi Noem, R-S.D., also vowed to call a special session of her state’s Legislature should the Court reverse Roe.
“If this report is true and Roe v. Wade is overturned, I will immediately call for a special session to save lives and guarantee that every unborn child has a right to life in South Dakota,” Noem wrote on Twitter May 2.
If this report is true and Roe v. Wade is overturned, I will immediately call for a special session to save lives and guarantee that every unborn child has a right to life in South Dakota. https://t.co/oIiGibCP7B
— Governor Kristi Noem (@govkristinoem) May 3, 2022
Attorney General Ken Paxton of Texas responded to the news by encouraging the high court to return the contentious issue to the states.
“I hope that #SCOTUS returns the question of abortion where it belongs: the States,” Paxton noted on Twitter. “This is why I led a 24-state coalition in support of MS’s law banning them after 15 wks. I’ll [continue] to ensure that TX protects the unborn & pray for the end of abortion across our nation.”
I hope that #SCOTUS returns the question of abortion where it belongs: the States. This is why I led a 24-state coalition in support of MS’s law banning them after 15 wks.
I’ll con’t to ensure that TX protects the unborn & pray for the end of abortion across our nation.#ProLife https://t.co/efCC40gwMU
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) May 3, 2022
Gov. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, also said he would direct Attorney General Dave Yost to appeal a nearly three-year-old stay on his state’s so-called “heartbeat” bill put in place by a U.S. district court after the state legislature passed the measure in 2019.
Fox News adds:
Indiana Republican lawmakers have sent a letter asking Gov. Eric Holcomb, R-Ind., to call a special session of the Legislature should the Court reverse Roe.
The joint letter, which has 100 signatures between the Indiana House and Senate, requests that Holcomb call for a special session “at the earliest date practicable” should SCOTUS “expand Indiana’s ability to protect unborn children” via its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
“Providing a voice for those that have not yet been able to speak for themselves is a responsibility that we do not take lightly, and this is exactly why this request is so important,” the letter says.
