Social programs weak in many states with tough abortion laws

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST, CAMILLE FASSETT and JASEN LO
Associated Press

States with some of the nation’s strictest abortion laws are also some of the hardest places to have and raise a healthy child, especially for the poor. An analysis of federal data by The Associated Press raises questions about the strength of the social safety net as up to half the states are poised to ban or greatly restrict access to abortion following an expected U.S. Supreme Court decision later this year. The burden is likely to fall heaviest on those with low incomes, who also are the least able to seek an abortion in other states where the procedure remains widely available.