President Donald Trump's appointee to succeed Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court, if confirmed, could conceivably provide the fifth vote to overturn the right to an abortion and the right to a same-sex marriage. Should that happen, the legality of abortion and same-sex marriage would be up to each of the states. It's worth noting, by the way, that California legalized abortion in 1967, and that the bill was signed into law by then-Governor Ronald Reagan—before the Republican Party had become dependent on evangelical voters.
The following two charts show the legal status of abortion and same-sex marriage in each of the states and the District of Columbia if the Court reverses Roe and Obergefell.
—The Editors
A second Trump administration will cement a right-wing majority on the Supreme Court for a generation, and put our collective future in the hands of someone who will be virtually unchecked by our institutions. The country has shifted rightward, and the reverberations will ensue for potentially the next few decades. In this climate, a robust independent media ecosystem will be more important than ever. We're committed to bringing you the latest news on how Trump's agenda will actually affect the American people, shining a light on the stories corporate media overlooks and keeping the public informed about how power really works in this country.
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