No one expects a judge’s rollback of Georgia’s abortion ban to be the last word

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — When a Georgia judge overturned the state’s abortion ban this week, abortion rights advocates praised the ruling and opponents denounced it — all knowing the state’s top court could put it on hold in coming days or weeks.

Any changes to abortion policy in Southern states could have an impact that resonates beyond their borders. Most states in the region have bans in place, forcing women who are seeking abortion procedures to travel to obtain them.

So as long as the ban is lifted, it could change abortion-related travel patterns. And the ruling puts another spotlight on a contested state in this year’s presidential election, in which Democrats have sought to make abortion a major issue.

Here’s a look at where things stand.

What was the ruling?

Georgia’s abortion law violates women’s rights to liberty and privacy guaranteed by the state constitution, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney ruled Monday.

Since 2022, the law effectively prohibited abortions beyond six weeks of pregnancy, which is before women often know they’re pregnant. That’s the point when cardiac activity in an embryo’s cells can be detected by ultrasound. The law banned abortions once a “detectable human heartbeat” was present — with some exceptions.

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