KEY DEVELOPMENTS (AP):The U.S. Supreme Court ends nearly 50 years of constitutional protection for abortion.Biden vows to fight for abortion rights, criticizes 'extreme' court.Vice President Kamala Harris discusses abortion laws with state attorneys general.Many states have already taken steps to curtail abortion. Some prosecutors announce they will not enforce abortion bans.Fears are voiced over possible rollback of LGBTQ and other rights. BALTIMORE -- The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday overturned Roe v. Wade, removing a constitutionally protected right to abortion. The ruling came after the justices heard a challenge to a new law passed by Mississippi's Legislature that bans abortions after 15 weeks.| RELATED: Roe v. Wade overturned; states can ban abortion, Leer en españolWhile the high court's decision will not immediately impact Maryland -- state law allows abortion and a law passed this year expands access to abortions -- the state's legislative leaders are pledging to further enhance protections by making it part of the state constitution. The measure passed the House this year but was not brought up in the Senate."I'm horrified, truly stunned that we have hit this place," Senate President Bill Ferguson said. "I think it is absolutely necessary that we revisit this, and I can commit -- assuming I am back as presiding officer in the Senate -- that we will bring the constitutional amendment up for a vote." "It is a dark day for our country," House Speaker Adrienne Jones said.Abortion became legal in Maryland in 1992. That right would be further protected if it became part of the state constitution.| RELATED: Maryland abortion law settled by ballot question in 1992A spokesman for Gov. Larry Hogan sent a statement to 11 News, saying, "In 1992, Maryland voters approved a constitutional referendum legalizing and protecting access to abortion as a matter of state law -- that measure remains in effect today following the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson. I swore an oath to uphold the Constitution and the laws of Maryland, and that is what I have always done and will continue to do as governor."Video below: U.S. Supreme Court formally overrules Roe v. WadeThere's local concern that if there is a Republican takeover of Congress, a bill outlawing abortion will pass and supersede Maryland law."To be dictated in terms of what you should do with your body is not right, it's not right," Jones said. "Men don't understand women in terms of what we go through. We do have minds, we can make the decision for ourselves what's in the best interest."During Session 2022, legislators passed a law to expand access to abortion, allowing trained health professionals who are not physicians to perform early abortions and requiring insurance to cover it. Hogan vetoed the bill and the Legislature overrode the veto.Starting in July 2023, $3.5 million will automatically go to fund the program. Only the governor can allocate funding for it sooner; however, Hogan refuses to release funds sooner.| RELATED: Hogan will not budge on refusal to release money sooner for abortion trainingThe governor's press office issued a statement, saying: "The governor opposes weakening standards for women's health."State legislative leaders also expressed concern about an influx of people coming to Maryland from states that ban abortion, particularly while there is currently a shortage of health care workers.Baltimore offers support to women seeking optionsThe Baltimore City Health Department, which does not provide abortion services, offered a list of resources, as follows.Abortion FinderHey JanePlan C PillRepro Legal HotlineBaltimore Abortion FundPlanned Parenthood of Maryland and the June Coleman FundNational Network of Abortion FundsIn a statement, Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Letitia Dzirasa said, "We've known for some time that the Supreme Court and its conservative supermajority intended to overturn Roe v. Wade this term. But that doesn't make today any easier for the millions of women across America that have effectively lost control around making decisions directly impacting their health and their bodies."Due to today's ruling, those health decisions now reside in largely male dominated chambers where just 28% of all state senators and only 32% of all state representatives across the country are women.Video below: Anti-abortion advocates celebrate Roe v. Wade reversal"As a Black woman, a mother and (Historically Black College and University)-trained clinician, I know that today an even heavier burden was placed on the backs of women who look just like me. The health disparities for women of color are appalling. According to the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), Black women are more than three times as likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women. I fear that these outcomes will worsen in states where women of color are denied access to these critical services."Fortunately in Maryland, we have robust protections for women's health. Maryland is one of 16 states that uses Medicaid funds to cover abortion care in certain circumstances. In addition, many private health insurance plans in Maryland also cover abortion care. With the passage of the Abortion Care Access Act (effective July 1), Maryland law will aim to provide equitable access to abortion coverage, whether with private insurance or Medicaid. It will also require private insurance plans, except for those with legal exemptions, to cover abortion care and without cost-sharing or deductibles."With Roe v. Wade overturned, Maryland abortion providers are anticipating an influx of individuals crossing state lines to seek abortion services. Maryland is home to two of the four national late term abortion clinics as well as over 20 different abortion service sites."Also Friday, the mayor announced that the city will provide $300,000 in grants to stand up a fund at the Baltimore Civic Fund used to provide funding directly to organizations that provide abortion and family planning services.Leaders across Maryland react to Supreme Court's rulingMaryland leaders swiftly issued reaction to the high court's ruling.| RELATED: Key national figures react to Supreme Court overturning Roe v. WadeThe Archdiocese of Baltimore on Friday closed the downtown Basilica as a precaution out of concern over the potential reaction to the court's ruling.In a video posted on YouTube, Baltimore Archbishop William Lori reacted to the Supreme Court's ruling and talked about what it means for Maryland, where abortions are legal."I'm very thankful to hear this," Lori said. "I think it is good news for our nation. I think it is good news for the cause of life, and I also think it is a moment for us as Catholics, as believers, as people of goodwill now to redouble our efforts to surround women in difficult pregnancies with love and care and services. So, it is both a victory but also a day of challenge."Lori said it's incumbent for Maryland Catholics to convince everyone about the "sanctity of life" and to help mothers who are dealing with difficult pregnancies.| RELATED: Abortion bans could soon go into effect in these statesU.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Maryland, released a statement, saying: "The Supreme Court of the United States is supposed to be the last line of defense, protecting the rights of Americans and guaranteeing equal justice under the law for all. The highest court in the land, defenders of the constitution, should never be the one deliberately taking away the rights of millions of people, knowing the dire consequences of putting them in the hands of state legislatures."Sadly, this is exactly what has happened this morning. Individuals in more than half the states now are in jeopardy, including 13 states with trigger laws that almost immediately end access to safe, legal abortions. Abortion is a standard part of health care. Bans, criminalization and bounty hunter laws, especially without exceptions even for rape and incest or the life of the mother, will not stop abortions."Abortions will continue in states like Maryland that respect individual privacy rights. Marylanders have already shown willingness to step up and provide access to care for those who cannot access it in their own state, but our medical systems will feel the weight of 26 states with contrary laws. Low-income families and those without the means to leave their homes and travel to other states, particularly including women of color, will be the most burdened.Video below: Political history of Supreme Court abortion cases"Senate Republicans bear responsibility for confirming justices they knew full-well intended to overturn Roe v. Wade, putting the lives of millions of women and girls in such a place where their own government does not trust them to make decisions about their own body and their own future. "History will show this as one of the worst decisions of the Supreme Court. Congress, the Biden administration and state governments must take action to protect the reproductive and health rights of Americans. There should be a common standard protecting the right of self-determination of health decisions for women and individuals, regardless of what state you live in today."During the taping for "11 TV Hill," which airs at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, said: "This must be breaking news as we speak here. If the Supreme Court decision is the same as the leaked opinion, this is a very bad day for America. It will take away a woman's right to reproductive freedom and reproductive choice. This is a big reversal (of a) constitutional right and we need to fight it every step of the way."| RELATED: What the ruling means for abortion rights state by stateU.S. Rep. Andy Harris, R-District 1, Maryland's sole Republican member of Congress, tweeted a statement, saying: "Today, the Supreme Court got it right in overturning the incorrectly decided decades-old Roe opinion that treated young human life as not worthy of protection under our Constitution. As I have long said, human life is worthy of protection from conception until its natural end, and I am thankful that this ruling now affirms that. It is my hope that this decision will be respected on the legal merits upon which it is written." U.S. Rep. John Sarbanes, D-District 3, released a statement, saying: "Today, the extremist Supreme Court majority struck down the constitutional right to abortion -- and with it, the fundamental right of women to control their own health, lives and futures. This decision casts aside settled precedent and overrules the voices of a broad majority of Americans who support reproductive freedom. It only deepens the crisis of legitimacy that now surrounds the highest court in the land."While abortion is and will remain legal in Maryland, this decision opens the door to the passage of draconian measures that criminalize reproductive health care in states across the country. These laws will have a disproportionate impact on minority and low-income communities who already struggle to afford and obtain abortion. Moreover, this decision signals the Supreme Court's intention to wage war against other constitutionally-protected rights, including LGBTQ+ rights and access to contraception."I was proud to vote in support of the Women's Health Protection Act when it passed the House last year. I will continue fighting to protect abortion access and ensure that all Americans -- no matter where they live -- can exercise their reproductive freedom."U.S. Rep. Anthony Brown, D-District 4, released a statement, saying: "Today, six justices on the Supreme Court decided to strip away a long-established constitutional right and Americans' ability to make their own health care decisions. Overturning Roe v. Wade jeopardizes the health of millions of Americans across the country, particularly Black, Latina, indigenous and underserved women. "Make no mistake, while today, radical justices are rolling back abortion rights, they won't stop there. This decision makes clear that every right and step forward for progress in our country's history is in jeopardy -- rights to contraceptives, LGBTQ+ rights and hard-fought civil rights that generations of activists and lawmakers have pushed for and defended. "Now is not the time to be despondent, now is the time for action.Video below: U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene reacts to Roe v Wade being overturned "I proudly testified before the Maryland General Assembly in support of our state expanding abortion services. Abortion is still legal in Maryland and must remain so, and enshrined in our state constitution. I also stood with my colleagues in the House to pass legislation codifying the protections of Roe v. Wade into law. Now, the question is before the Senate and all those who continue to stand in the way of protecting the rights, lives, bodies and freedoms of the Americans they purport to serve."We can't accept a country where women and Americans don't have full control over their bodies. We can't accept a country that forces individuals into birth and simultaneously ignores a maternal mortality crisis in our communities of color. We can't accept this decision or that six unelected judges take away the rights of millions. We need to mobilize in every community, in every state, and in Congress to push back on this immoral and cruel decision. Rights and lives are on the line."U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-District 5, released a statement, saying: "Today is a dark day for the privacy of everyone in America and the freedom of women to make their own health care decisions. In striking down Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the Supreme Court's Republican-appointed justices ignored nearly five decades of precedent and clear Constitutional principles."The American people know that our Constitution guarantees women's reproductive freedom, even if these six justices do not. That's why the House already passed Rep. Judy Chu's Women's Health Protection Act, which would enshrine the principles of Roe v. Wade in federal statute. However, Senate Republicans continue to filibuster that bill, rejecting even debate on that measure just a few weeks ago. As Democratic-led states move to implement stronger protections for reproductive choice, I expect many Republican-led states will do the opposite, advancing draconian state laws that criminalize abortion. Video below: Political history of Supreme Court abortion cases"This decision also opens a door to overturning established precedent on many other important rights and freedoms enjoyed by Americans, including contraception access and the right of LGBTQ Americans to marry those they love. No right is safe from this activist group of Republican-appointed justices who see themselves as legislators. We will not rest, we will not yield, we will not waver in our determination to restore the protections that Roe v. Wade offered and that Planned Parenthood v. Casey affirmed."U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume, D-District 7, released a statement, saying: "Today's decision marks a frightening reversal in what our country recognizes as American freedoms, and what rights are guaranteed to women in this country as established by our constitution."This ruling is a direct attack on the rights of women and a theft of their personal freedom. Tomorrow, millions of women will wake up in an America where they have significantly less control over their own bodies. Roe v. Wade has been settled law since 1973 and has the support of a vast majority of the American people."Now, stripped of the intensely personal decision-making pertaining to their own bodies, women will be forced into a state-by-state fight on the matter of choice. I will continue to fight here in Congress on behalf of the millions of women who had their constitutional freedom robbed from them today."Video below: Marylanders rally on both sides over Supreme Court decisionMaryland Attorney General Brian Frosh released a statement, saying: "Today's decision strips away the fundamental right of women to control their own bodies. Including in its sweep even survivors of abuse, rape and incest, it robs all women of autonomy to make the most personal decisions about their health care. Its harms will have disproportionate impact on women of color and those of low income, many of whom already lack meaningful access to affordable health care of any kind. And even more broadly, this decision overturning 50 years of precedent also threatens the rights of all Americans to make private decisions about their lives without government interference. "I am proud of my vote over 30 years ago to codify Roe v. Wade in state law, and I am proud of the work that our office has done since to protect and expand access to reproductive health care services across Maryland. We will continue to champion the rights of women to make their own health care decisions and to safeguard the right to privacy for all Marylanders."Video below: Analysis: Ruling upends constitutional law processBaltimore Mayor Brandon Scott released a statement, saying: "Today, the court has taken aim at women and their right to make fundamental health choices about their own bodies. This decision is especially harmful for Black women and women of color, who already face disparate health challenges and barriers to care. The court got it absolutely wrong again today. Men have absolutely no place deciding what women do with their bodies."I promise to make sure Baltimore City is doing its part to maintain safe access to abortion services for our resident and those who come here seeking care. I call on my fellow mayors to do the same in their cities."This election cycle couldn't be more important. If, like me, you support women's rights, make sure your voice is heard on the ballot."Two days before Friday's ruling, Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby vowed Baltimore City will be a safe space for women seeking abortions."Let me be clear that as the Baltimore City state's attorney, I will do everything in my power to ensure that these draconian laws never take heed in Baltimore City. We will vigilantly and unequivocally support a woman's right to choose what is best for her body, her life and her family," Mosby said Wednesday at a news conference.Mosby released a statement Friday afternoon, saying, in part: "As a mother of two little girls, I am not only appalled but heartbroken. I'm heartbroken because I've taught my little girls to not only appreciate that their bodies are their temples, but appreciate the fact that they lived in a country that constitutionally guaranteed them the autonomous right to make decisions about their own bodies."Today, that constitutional guarantee is no more and the same folks that profess a fundamental constitutional right to bear arms are the same folks who have now politically ruled that women don't have a fundamental, constitutional right to decide what happens with our bodies. What happened today is appalling, it's disheartening, and downright frightening. Today's decision will impact millions of women across this country whose lives will be put in jeopardy, and for the first time, I'm ashamed of what this decision means to the ideals of our country."Video below: Biden speaks on overturned abortion rightsAnnapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley released a statement, saying: "Today's decision from the Supreme Court to overturn the long-standing precedent of Roe v. Wade, is a devastating blow to women's rights. While none of us are surprised, we remain deeply disturbed by the court's willingness to overturn precedent and their contradictory position on state's rights -- shown in their decision today, versus their decision yesterday to override state's rights on reasonable gun safety laws."I stand with all women today who are fighting this assault on their right to health care and privacy. I am grateful we have strong partners at every level in this fight. Because of their work, and the past work of our state Legislature, Maryland will remain a safe haven for women seeking reproductive choice. "Maryland will continue to be a strongly pro-choice state, but we won't walk away from supporting all women across America whose rights have been stripped away with one Supreme Court decision. Later today, all those in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County who stand with us are invited to gather at People's Park at 5 p.m. There will be an opportunity to hear from elected officials, medical professionals and women's rights activists. "We have a long road ahead but we must remain focused on the work before us. Codifying Roe at the federal level, and electing pro-choice candidates across this country, can help undo this damage. Consider me an ally in the fight."