Demonstrators protest outside of the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday, May 3, 2022 in Washington. A draft opinion suggests the U.S. Supreme Court could be poised to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide, according to a Politico report released Monday. Whatever the outcome, the Politico report represents an extremely rare breach of the court's secretive deliberation process, and on a case of surpassing importance. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Butler County’s elected officials — as much of the country — held polarized opinions on the news of the U.S. Supreme Court’s plan to abolish a constitutional right to abortion.

Some, such as U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb, D-17th, denounced the court’s leaked draft opinion published late Monday by news outlet Politico, while others, like U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-16th, cheered the news as a step in the right direction.

The Supreme Court’s draft opinion authored by Justice Samuel Alito, which the court confirmed as genuine but said did not “represent ... the final position of any member,” would overturn Roe v. Wade, a 1973 case which established the constitutional right to abortion, and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, a 1992 case which upheld the right but established a standard that states could not implement an “undue burden” on pregnant women seeking abortions.

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