CULTURE
THRE AT S T O ABORTION ACCESS IN OHIO
WRITTEN BY
Lynn Nichols
13 | VINDICATOR
A
How a changing U.S. Supreme Court could impact reproductive rights for Ohioans fter the death of long-sitting justice and
constitutional text ought to be given the original public
cultural icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg, President
meaning that it would have had at the time that it
Donald Trump and the Republican-led Senate
became law.” Like Scalia, Barrett will interpret the
worked together to confirm Justice Amy
Constitution as she believes the framers intended it.
Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court of the United
Access to abortion and other reproductive freedoms
States. Barrett’s confirmation marks the sitting
are not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution,
president’s third SCOTUS pick in one four-year
nor any of its amendments. Many abortion rights
term, and cements a 6-3 conservative majority in
activists fear that, if Roe v. Wade were challenged
the nation’s highest court.
in court, Barrett would join a conservative vote to
Barrett has spoken publicly on her experience
overturn it. Some have also cited concerns about
clerking for late Justice Antonin Scalia. She emphasized
Barrett’s record as a judge for the federal appeals
in her Senate confirmation hearing that she will
court in Chicago. During her three years on the court,
not be a direct continuation of her mentor’s judicial
Barrett presided over three cases involving abortion
record: “If I’m confirmed, you would not be getting
rights. The New York Times reported in November
Justice Scalia, you would be getting Justice Barrett.”
that, in two of these cases, Barrett joined dissents
But Barrett does align with Scalia as a constitutional
which argued that restrictive laws should be allowed
originalist. In an essay for the National Constitution
to take effect. In the other case, according to NPR,
Center, Steven G. Calabresi defines originalism as a
Barrett did support “buffer zones designed to protect
legal philosophy, whose adherents believe that “the
patients from protesters outside clinics.”
