The leaked opinion draft, authored by conservative justice Samuel Alito, overturns the landmark 1973 ruling as well as the 1992 Planned Parenthood v. Casey decision that placed stricter rules on abortion rights, but upheld the constitutionality of Roe. The draft, in the strength of its language, also illustrates the court’s ideological turn – despite conservative justices having promised moderate senators (most notably Maine’s Susan Collins) during their confirmation hearings that Roe was settled law.

The reality is this: The decision is a potential key step in instituting a national abortion ban. According to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights, at least 26 states are certain or likely to ban abortion without Roe in place. In Texas where I live, the situation is already particularly draconian, with new restrictions passed last year forcing many women out of state and complicating care for women who miscarry.