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02:58 PM ET 05/20/97

Key U.S. abortion decisions since 1973

         
            WASHINGTON (Reuter) - A chronology of key abortion rights
decisions:
            --1973, U.S. Supreme Court in Roe vs. Wade rules women have
constitutional right to choose an abortion. Decision  creates
a ``trimester'' system, giving women an absolute right to
abortion in the first three months of pregnancy but says states
may restrict or ban abortions in the last trimester.
            --1979, Supreme Court rules states cannot require women
under age 18 to obtain parental consent for an abortion, saying
mature minors could get permission from a judge instead of going
to their parents.
            --1980, Supreme Court upholds federal law banning use of
Medicaid funds for abortion except when necessary to save the
woman's life.
            --1983, Supreme Court upholds a Missouri law requiring the
presence of two doctors at abortions done late in pregnancies
and saying a pathology report must be obtained for every
abortion.
            --1986, administration of President Ronald Reagan asks court
to overturn '73 Roe decision, court refuses on 5-4 vote and
strikes down Pennsylvania law designed to dissuade women from
having abortions.
            --1989, Supreme Court approves significant new restrictions
in abortion law, allowing the states to ban public funds for
abortion and prohibiting abortions at public facilities or by
public workers.
            --1992, Supreme Court abandons ``trimester'' approach of
1973 decision, saying a state may assert its interest in the
fetus throughout a pregnancy but rules that states may not place
substantial obstacles in the path of a woman seeking an
abortion.
            --1993, President Clinton takes office, issuing several
executive memoranda lifting President George Bush's ban on the
use of fetal tissue in research and removing a so-called gag
rule that forbade doctors in federally funded clinics from
mentioning abortion as an option.
            --1996, President Clinton vetoes legislation that would have
banned so-called ``partial birth'' late-term abortions,  which
involve partial extraction of the fetus feet-first and the
subsequent suctioning out of the fetal brain and the removal of
the fetus. The House voted to override his veto but the Senate
voted to uphold Clinton's veto, thus killing the measure.
            --March, 20, 1997, House by veto-proof 295-136 vote, passes
another ban on the late-term procedure which if enacted would be
the first time a specific abortion procedure has been banned
since the 1973 Roe decision. Clinton again threatens veto,
saying bill does not make exceptions for protecting women's
health.
            --May 20, 1997, Senate passes ban on same prodecure but the
64-36 vote is apparenly not strong enough to override a
presidential veto, which requires 67 votes.
           
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