AP Photo/Rogelio V. SolisLaura Duran, an anti-abortion activist calls through protective webbing to a potential patient, asking that she consider alternative options to abortion on May 3 at the Jackson Women's Health Organization , Mississippi's last remaining abortion clinic, called the "Pinkhouse," in Jackson. 

State officials and advocates on Friday reacted to the Supreme Court’s decision in the Mississippi case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled the constitution does not protect the right to an abortion and that the legality of abortion should be left up to the states.

“The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe and Casey are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives,” the majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito read.

In a statement, Sen. Roger Wicker called the decision an answered prayer.

“This is a momentous day for our nation, and Mississippi led the charge. This decision is an answered prayer, marking the beginning of the next chapter in our fight to protect the unborn,” Wicker said. “The Court’s ruling confirms what many legal experts have known for decades – that Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided and the power to set abortion policy should rest with the people and their elected representatives.”

Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith said Roe v. Wade, the 1974 ruling that gave women the right to an abortion, had been a stain on the country.

“Roe v. Wade has been a terrible stain on our nation for too long. I am grateful to God for His divine guidance in the Supreme Court’s decision on Dobbs,” she said. “By effectively overturning Roe v. Wade, the United States will step away from the notion that aborting a baby must be allowed on-demand and up until the birth. Today, the Dobbs decision stands as an affirmation that states can take actions to protect both the pre-born and their mothers.

Gov. Tate Reeves also expressed support for the decision and said, with the overturn of Roe, Mississippi had overcome one of the “greatest injustices in the history of our country.”

“Let’s be clear, this decision will directly result in more hearts beating, more strollers pushed, more report cards given, more little league games played, and more lives well lived,” he said. “It is a joyous day! Tomorrow, we will wake to a new world, enthusiastically prepared to take on the challenges ahead and to take every step necessary to support mothers and children.”

Mississippi, Reeves said, will continue working to support mothers and children as part of its “new pro-life agenda.”

On Twitter, House Speaker Philip Gunn announced he would be forming a new “Speaker’s Commission on Life” of House representatives and experts to recommend policies and legislation to address adoption, child protection, foster care and enhanced child support enforcement to hold fathers accountable.

The recommendations, Gunn said, would be ready for the Legislature to take up beginning in January.

“The day so many prayed for is here. HB1510 is law and Roe v. Wade is no more,” he said. “With love for children and the women who bear them, we move forward to secure strong and lasting legal protections and cultural support for life, and a vibrant network of abortion alternatives.”

Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann echoed the call for further action to support women and children.

“The Court’s decision today returns the right to protect the unborn to the states. Mississippi is a leader on this critical issue, with a law already in place which will prohibit abortion,” he said. “I am pro-life. I am also pro-child. In addition to protecting the unborn, we must also focus on other ways to support women, children, and families.”

Attorney General Lynn Fitch, who was instrumental in getting the case heard by the Supreme Court, said Friday’s decision opened up new possibilities to empower women and promote life.

“Now, our work to empower women and promote life truly begins. The Court has let loose its hold on abortion policymaking and given it back to the people,” she said. “The task now falls to us to advocate for the laws that empower women – laws that promote fairness in child support and enhance enforcement of it, laws for childcare and workplace policies that support families, and laws that improve foster care and adoption.”

Abortion advocates also shared their thoughts following Friday’s decision. On Twitter, the ACLU of Mississippi said the ruling would have “deadly consequences.”

“Forcing someone to carry a pregnancy against their will has life-altering consequences, including enduring serious health risks, making it harder to escape poverty, derailing their education and career plans, making it more difficult to leave an abusive partner,” the ACLU of Mississippi said. “Today’s ruling will also have deadly consequences, with the harm falling hardest on Black women and other people of color who already face a severe maternal mortality crisis in Mississippi.”