South East Abortion

The arbitrarily defined South East quarter has many of the worst anti-choice states in the country. Among these thirteen states, only West Virginia is considered as leaning in the pro-choice direction. However, the rest in this sector range from virulently anti-choice to only mildly repressive. Nine out of the thirteen states still have unconstitutional bans on abortion – often times such bans appearing in state constitutions or laws have been reaffirmed as late as 1998. While some states have non-regressive constitutional updates (such as recognition of federal law), every single state sports a varied array of anti-choice obstructions. These obstructions are designed to make it as hard as possible for a woman to exercise her reproductive rights and include parental notification laws. It’s not all bad news, but most of it is. While there are a few bright spots in the section of the country, reproductive rights are an overturned Supreme Court precedent from being stripped from the women of these states.
I suppose I should get the good news out of the way. In West Virginia, North and South Carolina there are provisions that strengthen and protect reproductive rights. Luckily enough, out of these thirteen states there is one Governor that is pro-choice, Kathleen Sebelius (D - GA). West Virginia actually provides greater protections that the federal government. Emergency contraception is guaranteed to victims of sexual assault in South Carolina “medication for pregnancy prevention if indicated and if desired.” (S.C. Code Ann. § 16-3-1350) Which is nice. In North Carolina it is illegal to carry a weapon to a protest outside an abortion clinic. Of course, it’s only a misdemeanor. (N.C. Gen. Stat. Ann. § 14-277.2) And that’s it.
The bad news is, well, alarming. Along with 12 anti-choice governors, there is not a single legislative house or senate that can be described as pro-choice, and in fact, most of these legislatures are determinedly anti-choice. These legislatures when not actively fighting constitutional provisions regarding the right to choose are continually throwing up road block after road block to make it as hard as possible for a woman to exercise her rights. Each of these states has some form of parental notification laws, and in a few states, such as Louisiana, there are husband notification requirements. Almost every state in the sector requires some form of state mandated counseling where the counselor is required to give biased advice. Guess which way the bias leans. Tennessee, North Carolina and Louisiana are good examples of the region and each have fashioned burdensome and superfluous requirements and restrictions on facilities and medical professionals involved with abortion. And given these attacks on our rights by conservative jackals, Georgia, Arkansas and Kansas Democrats don’t even support the right to choose.
The really bad news is that despite nearly thirty five years of the protections granted to us by Roe v. Wade, the second that precedent is overturned nearly every single one of these states will make abortion a felony. Kentucky has even stated this position in its laws:
"If . . . the United States Constitution is amended or relevant judicial decisions are reversed or modified, the declared policy of this Commonwealth to recognize and to protect the lives of all human beings regardless of their degree of biological development shall be fully restored." Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 311.710(5) (1982).

And this thread has become dangerously taut even since the confirmation of Samuel Alito. With him as potentially the crucial swing vote, I would advise all residents of Alabama, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, Georgia, Tennessee, and Kansas to stock up on as many profilactics as you can. Because in this climate, they may be the next to go.