The fall of Roe v. Wade: the Dobbs ruling and the state abortion bans that followed

Gone quiet · last story Aug 13, 2022

The Supreme Court ended the constitutional right to abortion on June 24, 2022, when it overturned Roe v. Wade, and states with laws written for that moment banned most abortions within days.[1][2]

Photo from NBC News, with US Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade (Jun 24, 2022), the story with the most sources this week.
What this arc covers

The end of the constitutional right to abortion and the state bans around it: the court fight over Texas's six-week ban, which the Supreme Court declined to speed up, Idaho's 2022 law modeled on it, Florida's 15-week ban, the leaked draft opinion in May 2022, the Supreme Court's June 24, 2022 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization overturning Roe v. Wade, the trigger laws that banned most abortions in several states within days or weeks, the state court fights over the bans that followed, the clinics that closed, and the reactions, including President Biden's.

Earliest story we hold Jan 4, 2022 · 35 stories · 164 sources (counted once each) · 221 days

Part ofSupreme Court of the United StatesTexasIdahoSouth DakotaFloridaMissouriNorth DakotaRon DeSantis

Background

Before the ruling, Texas's ban on abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy had already cut access in the state, and in January 2022 the Supreme Court refused to speed up the clinics' challenge to it over the dissents of its three liberal justices.[3] In March the Texas Supreme Court ruled that state medical licensing officials could not enforce the law, which effectively ended that federal challenge.[4] Idaho became the first state to copy the Texas law, signed by Gov. Brad Little despite his doubts about its constitutionality,[5] and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a ban on most abortions after 15 weeks.[6] Coverage on this site begins in January 2022, so the Texas law's passage in 2021 appears here only where later stories describe it.

Read the full background

The ruling set off trigger laws. Missouri banned abortion minutes after the decision under a 2019 law,[2] North Dakota's ban was set to begin on July 28,[7] and Idaho's 2020 law banning abortion except in reported cases of rape or incest or to protect the mother's life was set to take effect 30 days later.[8] In Wisconsin, doctors stopped providing abortions while it was unclear whether a 173-year-old ban could be enforced.[9] President Biden spoke after the ruling,[10] and Democratic leaders moved to protect abortion rights in the states where they could.[11]

Court fights followed in the states. A Texas judge briefly blocked a nearly century-old ban before the Texas Supreme Court let it be enforced,[12][13] Planned Parenthood sued over the trigger bans in Utah and Idaho,[14] and in August the Idaho Supreme Court let that state's bans take effect while the challenges went on.[15] The Texas Medical Association said some hospitals had refused to treat patients with serious pregnancy complications for fear of breaking the state's ban,[16] and at least 43 clinics closed in the month after the ruling, according to the Guttmacher Institute.[17]

Supporting stories (17)
  1. US Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade
  2. Missouri bans all abortions minutes after SCOTUS ruling overturning Roe
  3. Supreme Court won't speed challenge to Texas abortion limits
  4. Texas Clinics' Lawsuit Over Abortion Ban ‘Effectively Over'
  5. Idaho Governor Signs Abortion Ban Modeled on Texas Law
  6. 15-week abortion ban becomes Florida law with Gov. Ron DeSantis' signature
  7. North Dakota to outlaw abortion starting July 28
  8. Idaho will ban most abortions after US Supreme Court ruling
  9. Wisconsin doctors halt abortions following court ruling
  10. Watch Live: Biden speaks after Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade
  11. Efforts underway to protect abortion rights as nation adjusts to Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade
  12. Texas law banning abortion temporarily blocked by court
  13. Texas Supreme Court blocks order to allow abortions
  14. Planned Parenthood sues to block Utah’s ‘trigger law’ abortion ban
  15. Idaho Supreme Court won't block strict abortion bans
  16. Texas hospitals delaying care over violating abortion law
  17. At least 43 abortion clinics shut in month after Supreme Court overturned Roe, research says, with more likely to close

Overview updated Oct 17, 2026

Part of Abortion

  1. The fall of Roe v. Wade: the Dobbs ruling and the state abortion bans that followedThis arcJan 4 – Aug 13, 2022
  2. Arizona's 1864 abortion ban, from the court ruling reviving it to its repealMar 24, 2022 – Dec 3, 2024
  3. The fight over emergency abortions under federal lawJul 14, 2022 – Aug 14, 2026
  4. Abortion on the ballot: the state measures of 2024 and afterAug 1, 2022 – Oct 13, 2026
  5. The fight over the abortion pill: mifepristone access and doctors who mail itNov 18, 2022 – Oct 7, 2026
  6. Massachusetts's 2026 law allowing abortion through the whole pregnancyJul 21 – Aug 17, 2026

Where it standsnewest first · each bar runs left to right by leaning

Aug 132022Idaho Supreme Court won't block strict abortion bans27 articles · 23 sources
7 left, 11 center, 4 right
Aug 32022Idaho's top court latest in red state to weigh abortion ban11 articles · 8 sources
3 left, 5 center, 0 right
Jul 28– 292022At least 43 abortion clinics shut in month after Supreme Court overturned Roe, research says, with more likely to close12 articles · 10 sources
2 left, 6 center, 1 right

Key momentsthe most covered; every story is below

  1. Mar 3 – 4, 2022Florida legislature passes 15-week abortion ban63 articles · 42 sources
  2. Mar 11 – 12, 2022Texas Clinics' Lawsuit Over Abortion Ban ‘Effectively Over'75 articles · 46 sources
  3. Mar 23 – 24, 2022Idaho Governor Signs Abortion Ban Modeled on Texas Law62 articles · 42 sources
  4. Apr 14 – 15, 202215-week abortion ban becomes Florida law with Gov. Ron DeSantis' signature54 articles · 42 sources
  5. Jun 24 – 25, 2022US Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade330 articles · 128 sources
  6. Jun 24 – 25, 2022How US states have banned, limited or protected abortion158 articles · 53 sources
  7. Jul 2 – 3, 2022Texas Supreme Court blocks order to allow abortions115 articles · 44 sources

Who covered it, over timeshare of the sources publishing each week, by side

Jan 3, 2022 - Aug 14, 2022

Share of the sources publishing each week that covered it

0%20%40%60%80%100%
Jan 3, 2022Apr 25, 2022Aug 8, 2022

LeftCenterRight

Week of Aug 8, 2022 - Aug 14, 2022: 7 left, 11 center, 4 right, 11% of the sources that published that week · 26 articles

Show every week as a table
WeekLeftCenterRightArticlesShare
Jan 3, 2022 - Jan 9, 202261042510%
Jan 10, 2022 - Jan 16, 202200000%
Jan 17, 2022 - Jan 23, 20221316117821%
Jan 24, 2022 - Jan 30, 202200000%
Jan 31, 2022 - Feb 6, 202200000%
Feb 7, 2022 - Feb 13, 202200000%
Feb 14, 2022 - Feb 20, 202200000%
Feb 21, 2022 - Feb 27, 202200000%
Feb 28, 2022 - Mar 6, 2022192427922%
Mar 7, 2022 - Mar 13, 20221220147523%
Mar 14, 2022 - Mar 20, 2022111874619%
Mar 21, 2022 - Mar 27, 2022142536221%
Mar 28, 2022 - Apr 3, 2022474168%
Apr 4, 2022 - Apr 10, 202200000%
Apr 11, 2022 - Apr 17, 2022191755321%
Apr 18, 2022 - Apr 24, 202200000%
Apr 25, 2022 - May 1, 202200000%
May 2, 2022 - May 8, 202212272%
May 9, 2022 - May 15, 202200000%
May 16, 2022 - May 22, 202200000%
May 23, 2022 - May 29, 202200000%
May 30, 2022 - Jun 5, 202200000%
Jun 6, 2022 - Jun 12, 202200000%
Jun 13, 2022 - Jun 19, 202287103313%
Jun 20, 2022 - Jun 26, 202250623669971%
Jun 27, 2022 - Jul 3, 202217231817530%
Jul 4, 2022 - Jul 10, 202200000%
Jul 11, 2022 - Jul 17, 2022471126%
Jul 18, 2022 - Jul 24, 202223163%
Jul 25, 2022 - Jul 31, 2022261115%
Aug 1, 2022 - Aug 7, 2022350114%
Aug 8, 2022 - Aug 14, 202271142611%

Stories before June 28, 2026 come from archived pages, so who covered them is limited to the outlets we recovered for that period.

33% left · 43% center · 24% right of 164 sources on the spectrum, across 35 stories.

Every storyoldest first

  1. January 2022

    Jan 4– 7Appeals court holds hearing to debate next steps in Texas six-week abortion ban case25 articles · 20 sources
    6 left, 10 center, 4 right
  2. Jan 18'No end in sight:' Texas abortion clinics dealt new setback25 articles · 17 sources
    5 left, 6 center, 6 right
  3. Jan 18– 21Supreme Court won't speed challenge to Texas abortion limits54 articles · 35 sources
    12 left, 13 center, 9 right

  4. March 2022

    Mar 3South Dakota passes bill further restricting access to medication abortions17 articles · 15 sources
    6 left, 9 center, 0 right
  5. Mar 3– 4Florida legislature passes 15-week abortion ban63 articles · 42 sources
    18 left, 21 center, 2 right
  6. Mar 11– 12Texas Clinics' Lawsuit Over Abortion Ban ‘Effectively Over'75 articles · 46 sources
    12 left, 20 center, 14 right
  7. Mar 14– 15Lawmakers send Texas-styled abortion bill to Idaho governor47 articles · 37 sources
    11 left, 18 center, 7 right
  8. Mar 23– 24Idaho Governor Signs Abortion Ban Modeled on Texas Law62 articles · 42 sources
    14 left, 25 center, 3 right
  9. Mar 30Health care provider sues over Idaho's strict abortion ban16 articles · 15 sources
    4 left, 7 center, 4 right

  10. April 2022

    Apr 14– 1515-week abortion ban becomes Florida law with Gov. Ron DeSantis' signature54 articles · 42 sources
    19 left, 17 center, 5 right

  11. May 2022

    May 3Draft Supreme Court decision would end nearly all abortions in Missouri7 articles · 5 sources
    1 left, 2 center, 2 right

  12. June 2022

    Jun 17– 24Wisconsin doctors halt abortions following court ruling24 articles · 13 sources
    5 left, 5 center, 3 right
  13. Jun 17– 20Iowa Supreme Court Rejects Fundamental Right to Abortion34 articles · 27 sources
    7 left, 7 center, 12 right
  14. Jun 23– 24Watch Live: Biden speaks after Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade73 articles · 36 sources
    10 left, 18 center, 7 right
  15. Jun 24– 29Texas law banning abortion temporarily blocked by court50 articles · 19 sources
    4 left, 6 center, 7 right
  16. Jun 24Roe v Wade overturned: Texas officials react to Supreme Court abortion ruling15 articles · 7 sources
    1 left, 5 center, 1 right
  17. Jun 24Idaho will ban most abortions after US Supreme Court ruling14 articles · 9 sources
    2 left, 5 center, 2 right
  18. Jun 24– 28North Dakota to outlaw abortion starting July 2810 articles · 9 sources
    1 left, 1 center, 7 right
  19. Jun 24Abortion illegal in South Dakota due to Supreme Court ruling; special session of Legislature planned15 articles · 11 sources
    0 left, 2 center, 9 right
  20. Jun 24– 25How US states have banned, limited or protected abortion158 articles · 53 sources
    20 left, 26 center, 6 right
  21. Jun 24Reaction from Nebraska politicians and stakeholders to the Supreme Court's abortion decision6 articles · 2 sources
    0 left, 2 center, 0 right
  22. Jun 24– 25US Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade330 articles · 128 sources
    43 left, 52 center, 29 right
  23. Jun 24– 28Where abortion 'trigger laws' stand after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade13 articles · 13 sources
    4 left, 6 center, 2 right
  24. Jun 24Missouri bans all abortions minutes after SCOTUS ruling overturning Roe18 articles · 14 sources
    3 left, 4 center, 7 right
  25. Jun 24US Supreme Court ends constitutional right to abortion5 articles · 5 sources
    1 left, 3 center, 1 right
  26. Jun 24Where Pennsylvania legislation stands after Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade Friday3 articles · 3 sources
    0 left, 2 center, 1 right
  27. Jun 25– 27Florida judge hears arguments on state's new abortion law11 articles · 9 sources
    5 left, 3 center, 1 right
  28. Jun 25– 27Planned Parenthood sues to block Utah’s ‘trigger law’ abortion ban12 articles · 11 sources
    4 left, 5 center, 2 right
  29. Jun 26Efforts underway to protect abortion rights as nation adjusts to Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade20 articles · 9 sources
    1 left, 8 center, 0 right

  30. July 2022

    Jul 2– 3Texas Supreme Court blocks order to allow abortions115 articles · 44 sources
    14 left, 21 center, 8 right
  31. Jul 13– 15Texas hospitals delaying care over violating abortion law13 articles · 13 sources
    4 left, 7 center, 1 right
  32. Jul 18Idaho GOP rejects abortion exception to save mother's life6 articles · 6 sources
    2 left, 3 center, 1 right

  34. August 2022

    Aug 3Idaho's top court latest in red state to weigh abortion ban11 articles · 8 sources
    3 left, 5 center, 0 right
  35. Aug 13Idaho Supreme Court won't block strict abortion bans27 articles · 23 sources
    7 left, 11 center, 4 right