Anthony Kennedy’s retirement puts abortion rights at risk
The departure of Kennedy, long a swing vote on the Supreme Court, is an opening for the anti-abortion movement.
By Dylan Matthews
Jun 27, 2018
Anthony Kennedy, the longest-serving member of the Supreme Court, is retiring.
Within minutes of his announcement, CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin tweeted this: “Anthony Kennedy is retiring. Abortion will be illegal in twenty states in 18 months. #SCOTUS.”
Nothing is guaranteed, of course, but Kennedy has, since at least 2005, been the swing vote on many of the Court’s most ideologically charged decisions — including preserving Roe v. Wade.