Alaska joins request asking Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade

U.S. Supreme Court. (Liz Ruskin/Alaska Public Media)

Alaska’s state government has joined other Republican-led states in asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade. The 1973 decision found there is a constitutional right to have an abortion. 

Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor signed onto a filing in support of an appeal by Mississippi. The brief was filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

The appeal seeks to defend a Mississippi law outlawing most abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Lower courts struck down the law. 

New Hampshire is the only state with a Republican attorney general that did not sign the Texas filing.

If Roe v. Wade is overturned, abortion law could be determined at the state level.

The Alaska Supreme Court has ruled the Alaska constitution’s right to privacy protects abortion.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case in its term that begins in October. 

Taylor’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on why he signed the brief. 

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Andrew Kitchenman is the state government and politics reporter for Alaska Public Media and KTOO in Juneau. Reach him at akitchenman@alaskapublic.org.

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