Page 40 - Heavenly Signs III by Mel Gable

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Some activist groups developed their own skills to provide abortions to women who could not obtain them
elsewhere. As an example, in Chicago, a group known as “Jane” operated a floating abortion clinic throughout
much of the 1960s. Women seeking the procedure would call a designated number and be given instructions on
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how to find “Jane.”
Abortion Laws prior 1973

Illegal

Legal in cases of rape

Legal in cases of danger to
woman's health

Legal in cases of danger to
woman's health, rape or incest or
likely damaged fetus

Legal upon request
States Legal Position relative to abortion prior to Roe vs. Wade (GNU)
In 1967, Colorado became the first state to legalize abortion in cases of rape, incest, or in which pregnancy would
lead to permanent physical disability of the woman. Similar laws were passed in California, Oregon, and North
Carolina. In 1970, Hawaii became the first state to legalize abortions on the request of the mother. Then in New
York, it repealed its 1830 law and allowed abortions up to the 24th week of pregnancy. Similar laws were soon
passed in Alaska and Washington. A law in Washington, D.C., which allowed abortion to protect the life or
health of the woman, was challenged in the Supreme Court in 1971 in United States v. Vuitch. The court upheld
the law, deeming that “health” meant “psychological and physical well-being” essentially allowing abortion in
Washington, D.C. By the end of 1972, 13 states had a law similar to that of Colorado, while Mississippi allowed
abortion in cases of rape or incest only. Alabama and Massachusetts allowed abortions only in cases where the
woman’s physical health was endangered. In order to obtain abortions during this period, women would often
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travel from a state where abortion was illegal to states where it was legal.

State by State Abortion Laws

Even though the Supreme Court ruled in 1973 on the legality of abortion many states have since that ruling
made it more highly regulated to get an abortion. Various states have laws on abortion, some of which refer to it
as feticide. On March 6, 2006, South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds signed into law a pro-life statute which
made performing abortions a felony and that law was subsequently repealed in a November 7, 2006 referendum.
On February 27, 2006, Mississippi’s House Public Health Committee voted to approve a ban on abortion and
that bill died after the House and Senate failed to agree on compromise legislation. Several states have enacted
“trigger laws” which would take effect if Roe v. Wade is overturned. North Dakota HB 1572 or the Personhood of
Children Act, which passed the North Dakota House of Representatives on February 18, 2009, but was later
defeated in the North Dakota Senate. It was aimed to allocate rights to “the pre-born, partially born” and if passed,

52 Johnson, Linnea. "Something Real: Jane and Me. Memories and Exhortations of a Feminist Ex-Abortionist". CWLU Project
53 "Medicine: Abortion on Request". Time. March 9, 1970.