He, along with fellow Trump nominees Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, plus Justice Clarence Thomas, formed a majority with Alito, according to reports. Justice Brett Kavanaugh had pursued a similar line of questioning during oral argument in December. Many Republican officials had urged the court to adopt this very approach in the Mississippi dispute, with a dozen GOP governors in an amicus brief calling on the court to use the case to restore state control over the procedure.Īlito’s opinion delivered on that request, stating: “It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.” The practical effect of Alito’s opinion would be to hand full authority to states to regulate abortion. “We thus return the power to … the people and their elected representatives” Here are five key lines from Alito’s 67-page draft opinion. The ruling stems from a dispute over Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban, which directly conflicts with Roe’s prohibition on states banning abortion prior to fetal viability, around 23 weeks. North Korea fires ballistic missile amid rising animosities