Louisiana Republicans advance bill to make abortion a crime of murder

The supreme court is expected to formally overturn Roe v Wade, the 1973 case which established the right to abortion, in June.

Since the draft ruling that seems set to overturn Roe was published by Politico on Monday night, Democrats have warned of a likely torrent of challenges to established rights.

Joe Biden has sounded the alarm about threats to privacy-based rights including the rights to contraception (Griswold v Connecticut, 1965) and to same-sex marriage (Obergefell v Hodges, 2015). The president also raised the prospect of attacks on the teaching of LGTBQ+ children.

The same day in Texas, the Republican governor raised the possibility of challenging a 1982 ruling which said states must provide free education to all children, including those of undocumented migrants.

Abbott is a prominent figure on the hard right of that Republican party, with rumoured presidential ambitions.

Abbott was speaking to the conservative radio host Joe Pagliarulo.

Most progressive concern has focused on rulings which protect privacy rights, among them Lawrence v Texas (2003), which said it was unconstitutional to make gay sex a crime.

That was a reference to Brown v Board of Education, the 1954 case which ended racial segregation in public schools.