California and 23 other states could be abortion access points. Here’s the map

The right to abortion could soon be a state-by-state decision, leaving California and 23 other U.S. states linked as abortion access points, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

A leaked draft opinion obtained by Politico Monday and confirmed by the Supreme Court, signaled the likely overturn of the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling, which protects the right to abortion.

In a February interview with The Bee, Brandon Richards, director of communications for Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, said that Roe v. Wade is likely to be overturned and that California has already seen how important the state is for people seeking reproductive care.

In response to the Supreme Court’s draft opinion, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders announced Monday plans to build a “firewall” around the state’s reproductive rights, pushing for an amendment to the state’s constitution. Less than two months ago, Newsom signed a bill that will make abortions cheaper, for some, in a state known for its progressive abortion policies.

“California will not stand idly by as women across America are stripped of their rights and the progress so many have fought for gets erased,” according to a Monday statement from Newsom.

Abortion access in California

According to the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that advocates for abortion rights, if Roe v. Wade falls and a total ban or severe abortion restrictions are drawn in the expected 26 states, California would become the closest no-ban state within driving distance for roughly 1.4 million patients.

“Here in California, regardless of what the Supreme Court does, people are going to be able to access abortion here,” Richards previously told The Bee.

In California, the state law allows a person to obtain the procedure before fetal viability.

California does prohibit abortion after the point “when a physician determines based on a good-faith medical judgment that there is a reasonable likelihood the fetus can survive outside the uterus without extraordinary medical measures,” according to the ACLU of Northern California. The exception: if the pregnancy threatens the life or health of the pregnant person.

Abortion access in the U.S.

Here’s an interactive map, with data from Guttmacher Institute, that shows which states are likely and unlikely to ban abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned.

Some states — including Kansas, Virginia and West Virginia — that are unlikely to ban abortion, may restrict access, according to an NBC analysis of Center for Reproductive Rights data.

Here’s a list of U.S. states — and the District of Columbia — unlikely to ban abortion, according to Guttmacher:

1. Colorado
2. Illinois
3. Kansas
4. Minnesota
5. Nevada
6. New Mexico
7. New York
8. North Carolina
9. Oregon
10. Pennsylvania
11. Virginia
12. Washington
13. Alaska
14. California
15. Connecticut
16. Delaware
17. District of Columbia
18. Hawaii
19. Maine
20. Maryland
21. Massachusetts
22. New Hampshire
23. New Jersey
24. Rhode Island
25. Vermont

This story was originally published May 3, 2022 at 12:55 PM with the headline "California and 23 other states could be abortion access points. Here’s the map."