DALLAS —
The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade Friday, paving the way for states to make their own decisions on abortion rights.
The impact in Texas could already be seen after it was one of 13 states that already passed a "trigger law," which would enforce all abortion-related legislation that has been passed since Roe v. Wade's decision in 1973. The "trigger law" is expected to go into effect 30 days after the Supreme Court issues a judgment on the case. The Court issued its opinion on Roe v. Wade on Friday.
With Roe v. Wade being overturned, a person in North Texas would have to travel more than 300 additional miles to reach an abortion provider in another state.
Late last year, Axios released an interactive map of the United States that showed the distance to the nearest abortion provider by county as of that period of time and the projected distances if the precedent set by Roe v. Wade was overturned, according to the Myers Abortion Facility database.
As of June 24, 2022, the closest facility a person in Dallas could access would be about 366 miles away in Wichita, Kansas. Currently, there are three abortion providers currently serving North Texas: one in Fort Worth and two in Dallas, according to Axios.
For the major counties in North Texas, here's a look at the distance to the nearest provider:
- Dallas: Wichita, Kansas (~365 miles)
- Tarrant: Wichita, Kansas (~360 miles)
- Collin: Wichita, Kansas (~362 miles)
- Denton: Wichita, Kansas (~355 miles)
- Ellis: Wichita, Kansas (~387 miles)
- Johnson: Wichita, Kansas (~381 miles)
- Parker: Wichita, Kansas (~383 miles)
- Kaufman: Wichita, Kansas (~390 miles)
However, in early August, the state of Kansas will be voting on whether to take away any protections for abortions in the state constitution.
If Kansas restricts abortion rights, the closest abortion provider to North Texans would be in New Mexico, specifically Santa Fe.
Santa Fe, which has one abortion clinic, is about 640 miles away from Dallas.
Albuquerque, New Mexico's largest city and lies just southwest of Santa Fe, has three clinics.
Texas currently bans abortions after six weeks with no exceptions for rape or incest. This was part of Senate Bill 8, which was passed in 2021. The law also allows a person to sue anyone who aids or abets an abortion for up to $10,000.
Under the current law, a prosecutor could file charges against an abortion provider, but it's considered a misdemeanor.
When the "trigger law" goes into effect, providers can be criminally prosecuted with a first-degree felony, with at least a $100,000 fine and risk of losing licenses.