ST. LOUIS -- As the new U.S. Supreme Court session gears up, a new report found more than 36 million women in 26 states, including Missouri, could lose access to abortions if the court overturns Roe v. Wade.

Missouri has only one clinic where abortions are performed, the result of laws that, for instance, require providers to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals, although research shows there's no medical need for such permission.

Yamelsie Rodríguez, president and CEO of reproductive health services for Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region, helps run the last clinic.

"We often feel we're providing abortion services on borrowed time," Rodríguez remarked. "A web of medically unnecessary laws make abortion inaccessible, especially for people of color, people with low incomes and people who live in rural communities."

Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court turned down a case regarding a Texas ban on abortions after six weeks, the nation's most restrictive abortion law. The court plans to hear a case this session on a Mississippi 15-week ban, which, if upheld, would overturn the 1973 landmark Roe decision.

Missouri is one of many states with what's known as an abortion "trigger law," meaning it is crafted to go into effect if there is a change in court precedent. Rodríguez added without the Roe decision, it's estimated thousands of Missouri women will have to turn to nearby states, like Illinois, where the right to end a pregnancy is protected by state law.

"In fact, this is already happening, even under Roe," Rodríguez observed. "As we speak, the Texas abortion ban is wrecking havoc on abortion care throughout the South and Midwest. It is a devastating ripple effect that underscores that this is just not a Texas problem."

Recent polls show nearly seven in ten Americans support the decision that established a pregnant person's right to an abortion. Rodríguez believes the nation must change course if it wants to keep up with global advancements in health equity.

She noted there are moves to decriminalize abortion in other countries, including Chile, Argentina, and Mexico.

As Nebraska's GOP leaders work to further restrict and even ban access to abortion services, Sen. Megan Hunt, D-Omaha, has introduced two bills designed to improve women's access to reproductive health care.

Legislative Bill 715 would allow insurers to cover abortion services. Legislative Bill 716 would allow Certified Nurse-Midwives, RNs and physician assistants to perform abortions.

Jo Giles, executive director of the Women's Fund of Omaha, believes the best way to reduce unwanted pregnancies is to protect women's health.

"What we're advocating for is barrier-free access to affordable health care, to comprehensive sex education, and access to birth control, not more restrictions on health care," Giles asserted.

Republicans say their legislation is in sync with the state's pro-life constituencies, but according to Pew Research, a majority of Nebraskans surveyed said abortion should not be banned or restricted.

Fifty percent of Nebraska adults say abortion services should be legal, compared with 46 % who said the procedure should be illegal, in all or most cases.

Legislative Bill 933 would ban abortions in Nebraska if Roe v. Wade is overturned. Legislative Bill 781, a Texas-inspired measure, would make abortions illegal after six weeks, before most women learn they are pregnant.

Giles said ultimately women, not lawmakers, should have the right to make decisions about their own bodies.

"And when you remove access, when you restrict abortion rights and access, you're saying that you don't trust women to make the decisions for themselves, their livelihood and their family," Giles contended.

Giles added women need regular access to birth control in order to determine the right time to start a family. Her group is also working to pass Legislative Bill 20, which would allow health providers to prescribe an entire year of birth control in a single visit.

"Someone who has limited access to transportation or doesn't have paid time off work, that's a barrier to being able to receive care," Giles emphasized. "Because they may not be able to get transportation and time off work to go and see a medical provider every month."

As the Missouri legislative session gets under way, reproductive-health advocates are pushing back against seven bills filed this year to restrict access to abortion.

One is nearly identical to the Texas six-week abortion ban. Supporters of the bill want to allow private citizens to sue anyone who provides or aids someone in getting an abortion, and prevent public funds from going to health-care providers who also provide abortions.

Dr. Jen Villavicencio, lead for equity transformation for the American College of Gynecologists and Obstetricians, said abortion is a safe procedure many people have in their lifetimes, and it is important to reduce stigma.

"The impact is felt most strongly by people in families who already face challenges accessing general medical care," Villavicencio explained. "This includes those who live in rural areas, people from communities of color, and those without financial means to navigate around the mounting barriers to basic health care."

Missouri is among a growing number of states aiming to model legislation after the Texas bill, which is being challenged in court but has so far been allowed to stand.

Maggie Olivia, policy manager for Pro-Choice Missouri, noted anti-abortion activists sometimes frame adoption as an alternative to abortion. She emphasized it is important to make the distinction that adoption can be an alternative to parenting, but not to pregnancy.

"It is in fact really dangerous to carry a pregnancy to term," Olivia asserted. "In Missouri, we ranked 44th in the country for maternal mortality rates, and those rates are three to four times higher for Black parents in Missouri"

Nearly 60% of Americans say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while less than 40% say it should be illegal, according to Pew Research Center. Opponents of the Missouri bills to restrict abortion are urging voters to contact their legislators to make their views known.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.

As the U.S. Supreme Court deliberates the latest challenge to Roe v. Wade, new abortion laws are already in the works ahead of Florida's upcoming legislative session.

Encouraged by possible federal changes, conservatives are moving full speed ahead in the Statehouse with proposals like House Bill 167, which would require doctors to conduct a test and inform a pregnant person of a heartbeat.

Lillian Tamayo, who recently announced her retirement as president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of South, East and North Florida after 22 years, said on the Sunrise podcast, she is going into her final legislative session ready to fight.

"Doubling down on all the effort of assuring that we continue to provide healthcare to our patients, to keep our doors open," Tamayo stated.

The Texas-style "heartbeat bill," sponsored by Rep. Webster Barnaby, R-Deltona, would also allow people to sue physicians, clinics and anyone who helps someone else obtain an abortion. Florida's 60-day legislative session begins Tuesday.

Tamayo described her departure from Planned Parenthood as bittersweet. She noted despite increased efforts to overturn Roe v. Wade, the battle has always been constant in her eyes, although she calls this a "red alert moment" for pro-choice advocates.

"To stand in solidarity and to fight for justice, that is the work ahead and the work that I will imagine I will continue to do in a different way, following my departure," Tamayo emphasized.

So far, Florida's GOP leaders have not signaled much support for the Texas-style abortion bill. But Democrats have countered by filing legislation, including House Bill 709 and Senate Bill 1036, to bar any individual, state or local government from interfering with a person's right to seek an abortion, including legal penalties for doing so.