Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has joined with 19 other attorneys general in an amicus brief over women’s abortion rights. The brief, which was filed today in the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit in support of the State of Mississippi’s last abortion clinic, Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
In the brief filed in the 5th Circuit, Raoul and the attorneys general argue that a Mississippi law enacted in March, which makes it a criminal offense to perform an abortion once a heartbeat is detected, constitutes a near-complete ban on abortion. The coalition argues that the law limits the period during which a woman could receive a legal abortion to six weeks, when most women do not even know they are pregnant. Raoul and the coalition assert that the law prohibits women from exercising their constitutional right to control their reproductive health under Roe v. Wade. Raoul and the coalition also argue that limiting women’s reproductive rights, contrary to the State of Mississippi’s claims, leads to worse health and socioeconomic outcomes.
Joining Raoul in filing the brief are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia.