Missouri Senator Josh Hawley: “It will matter what the people of Missouri decide together.”

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - The nation is still reacting to the release of a draft opinion indicating the U.S. Supreme Court could overturn Roe vs. Wade, the landmark 1973 legislation protecting abortion rights.

The draft opinion, obtained by Politico and written by Justice Samuel Alito, said Roe vs. Wade was “egregiously wrong fro the start.”

Missouri is one of 13 states with trigger laws, which is a ban on abortion that would go into effect if Roe Vs. Wade is overturned.

Missouri Senator Josh condemned the leak, calling it “a horrible attempt to influence the court” but said he agrees with the opinion.

“If this is the opinion of the court, then we’re going to get to have a discussion about this, that will matter,” said Senator Josh Hawley. “For the first time in my lifetime, it will matter what the people of Missouri decide to do together. So this will be the beginning, not the end. There will be a beginning of a debate that we’re going to get to have together as the citizens of Missouri and ultimately the country about what we want our laws to be.”

Congresswoman Cori Bush who represents the St. Louis area sent this statement:

“Abortion is a constitutional right that must be protected by any means necessary. The right to choose has always been vulnerable to a Supreme Court stacked with Trump-appointed judges. It is why the American people turned out to deliver control of the House, Senate, and White House to Democrats. We cannot throw up our hands like there isn’t anything we can do to protect the reproductive freedom of millions of people in this country — especially when Black, brown, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+ and low-income people are the communities that will be harmed the most. While abortion is still legal this morning in America, people are going to die because of the decision of a far right Supreme Court unless Congress acts. The Senate must abolish the filibuster and pass the Women’s Health Protection Act, immediately.”

The U.S. Supreme Court is not expected to make a final decision for a month or so.

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