Down Syndrome Abortion Bans Gain Traction After Court Ruling

Anti-abortion activists say 2021 has been a breakthrough year for legislation in several states seeking to prohibit abortions based on a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome.

Two such bills have been signed into law, in Arizona and South Dakota. Two more are pending, in North Carolina and Texas. Most significantly, a federal appellate court said Ohio could begin to implement a 2017 law that previously had been put on hold. Similar laws remain blocked by the courts in several other states. The conflicting rulings increase the chances that the U.S. Supreme Court will consider one of the cases.