Mississippi AG Fitch: Supreme Court abortion ruling as a 'victory for women,' certifies trigger laws
Mississippi Attorney General Fitch certified the state's trigger law which makes performing an abortion a felony offense
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Mississippi’s attorney general, who is largely considered the architect behind the case that led to the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, hailed the ruling on Monday as an "exciting" victory for women and children and commended the court for restoring constitutional principle in returning jurisdiction back to the states.
"It was a great day," Attorney General Lynn Fitch said in an exclusive interview on "The Story." "We turned the page now on Roe v. Wade. So It’s definitely a brand-new time for all of us. It’s exciting, because it’s a victory for women, it’s a victory for children and a victory for the court….this is such an important issue that states should be making the decision. And now, we move on to the next step [which is] about empowering women and promoting life."
Earlier Monday, Fitch certified Mississippi's trigger law, which makes it a felony offense for those performing or attempting to perform an abortion. The law includes new exceptions for victims of rape and instances when the life of the mother is in danger.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Pro life crowd outside the court reacting to the SCOTUS decision. (Photo by Joshua Comins/Fox News)
Fitch emphasized that the law targets providers, not women seeking abortions. The law goes into effect on July 7. Fitch said she sent notice to the abortion clinic in Jackson informing them of the trigger law certification and instructing them "to be mindful of abiding by all the rules and regulations of the state of Mississippi."
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"Certainly every state is going to react differently," Fitch said. "You’ll have different laws in each state. You’ll have some states that will determine if they’ll have full-term abortions….you’ll have other states that will have certain restrictions."
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Mississippi played a major role in seeing the federally granted protections from the 1973 landmark abortion decision overturned. The ruling came in the court's opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which centered on a Mississippi law that banned abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The Republican-led state of Mississippi asked the Supreme Court to strike down a lower court ruling that stopped the 15-week abortion ban from taking place.
July 2- Jackson Women's Health Organization owner Diane Derzis, walks past abortion opponents protesting outside Mississippi's only abortion clinic in Jackson, Miss. (AP/Rogelio V. Solis)
Fitch said the "science" has been the driving force behind Mississippi's abortion policy.
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"Things have changed. We know these babies are alive and in the womb," she said. "That was part of the argument, too. The medical science has changed in over 50 years. You think about it. 50 years is a lot to have changed as far as all the number of things that affect what has happened not only for the women, the children, and we have to take the professional integrity of the medical profession into context."