Jonathan Ernst
The Delaware legislature on Tuesday voted to guarantee abortion access on the state level in a bid to protect against President Trump’s promised overhaul of abortion rights. The bill, passed with a vote of 22 to 16, would enact the provisions of Roe v. Wade on the state level, putting Delaware on track to become the first state to guarantee abortion rights since Trump was elected. During his campaign, Trump vowed to appoint Supreme Court justices who would overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling and let states decide for themselves on abortion. Delaware Gov. John Carney Jr. has not yet said whether he’d sign the bill, but Jessica Borckey, his spokeswoman, said he “supports the rights and protections afforded women under Roe v. Wade.” Other states have taken similar measures in light of Trump’s stance on abortion, though those initiatives have not panned out. A bill similar to the one passed in Delaware was approved by the Illinois legislature, but Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner has promised to veto it. The New York State Assembly has also adopted similar legislation, but it never made it past the state senate.