Supreme Court's conservatives on the verge of ending right to abortion
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court is ending the year starkly split on abortion, with the five conservatives showing all signs they will overturn Roe vs. Wade and let state lawmakers decide whether women may legally end a pregnancy.
Until this fall, it was at least possible to foresee a moderate-conservative majority coming together to set new limits on abortions later in a pregnancy, while upholding the constitutional protection for a woman to end a pregnancy in the early months.
In May, the justices voted to hear Mississippi's appeal of a law that limited abortions to 15 weeks, well below the 24-week limit set by Roe vs. Wade. That move signaled a change, but ruling for Mississippi did not require overturning the right to choose abortion.
Such an outcome — tightening the time limit while preserving the right to abortion — required Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh or Justice
