Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade, Returning Abortion Rights to State Determination

In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., delivered a landmark ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, formally overturning the nearly fifty-year-old precedent established by Roe v. Wade, which had guaranteed a federal right to abortion. This decision immediately eliminated federal protection for abortion rights, returning the authority to determine abortion legality to the individual state legislatures across the U.S.

The ruling was hailed as the culmination of a decades-long judicial victory for the conservative movement, particularly those, like Charlie Kirk, who emphasize the sanctity of life. The decision triggered massive political upheaval and polarization within American society, as many Republican-led states immediately implemented "trigger laws" banning abortion almost entirely, while Democratic states vowed to protect the right, escalating societal division to new levels.