Las Vegas sees big spike in out-of-state abortion seekers

One year ago last week the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, removing the constitutional right to an abortion and leaving the decision up to individual states. It led to 20 states enacting bans or restrictions — and it brought patients from some of those states to Nevada.

Las Vegas saw a 37 percent increase in out-of-state patients at Planned Parenthood health centers since June 2022 when the Supreme Court issued its Dobbs decision, ruling the Constitution does not guarantee the right to an abortion, according to Lindsey Harmon, executive director of Planned Parenthood Votes Nevada. More than 1,200 patients have come to Las Vegas from out of state, she said.

“To see an influx of patients like that from out of state is, you know, pretty profound for a state like Nevada … as a state that already has a shortage of providers,” Harmon said. “So we’re really seeing a strain on our own kind of health care system as we open up and serve patients who desperately need this care.”

Before the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, Las Vegas saw patients coming from Texas, Harmon said during a Friday news conference about the one year anniversary. Following the decision, Las Vegas is now seeing people come from such states as Arizona, Utah and Idaho.

In Nevada, a 1990 referendum approved by voters established the right to have an abortion within the first 24 weeks of pregnancy. After 24 weeks, an abortion can be performed if the physician has cause to believe the life or health of the pregnant person is at risk.

Both former Nevada Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak and current Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo have upheld Nevadans’ rights to abortion as well as protected out-of-state patients seeking abortion care.

Sisolak had signed an executive order saying the state will not assist in the prosecutions or extraditions of people who traveled to Nevada to get abortion services, and Lombardo recently signed a bill spearheaded by Sen. Nicole Cannizzaro, D-Las Vegas, that codifies Sisolak’s executive order and prohibits the State of Nevada from assisting in the arrest or extradition of a person charged in another state for seeking reproductive health care services such as an abortion.

The overturning of Roe v. Wade, which had guaranteed a person’s right to abortion, led other states’ “trigger laws” that were passed before the decision to take effect.

Utah, for instance, passed an 18-week abortion ban in 2019 and a ban on abortions regardless of trimester in 2020, with exceptions in place for the mother’s health and in cases of rape and incest. The 2020 law has been delayed in taking effect pending a lawsuit, so abortion remains legal up to 18 weeks, according to The Associated Press.

Jim Doody, the head webmaster of Pro-Life Nevada, a website that provides information on candidates’ stances on abortion, said the states are supposed to be in charge, based on the way the Constitution is written. Regarding a provider shortage, Doody said there is a provider shortage everywhere in North America.

The next steps are to push for policies that promote families, such as a $10,000 tax credit for families with children, and $10,000 credits for people who adopt, he said.

“We’re always trying to work with the mothers to help them out,” Doody said. “We’re trying to be constructive.”

Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on Twitter.