Congress can’t overturn Washington’s abortion law

A clarification to the March 9 letter written by Chris Pentki: In November, 1970, Washington state voters passed Referendum 20 legalizing abortion in the early months of a pregnancy. In 1991 voters further bolstered Washington law by approving Initiative 120, allowing woman to choose a physician performed abortion prior to fetal viability. If the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in its entirety, under the U.S. Constitution the issue would revert back to state law. There would be no change in the State of Washington. In this case Congress has no say either over the opinions of the Supreme Court or the laws of the State of Washington.

Lytton Smith

Bothell