Final answer:
In the last trimester of pregnancy, according to Roe v. Wade and later Planned Parenthood v. Casey, a state can restrict or prohibit abortions as long as the action does not endanger the mother’s life.
Step-by-step explanation:
The answer to the student's question, regarding the three trimesters of pregnancy and states' rights to limit or prohibit abortions, is c. the mother’s life is not in danger. According to the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade (1973), states were permitted to regulate or restrict abortions in the last trimester as long as the life of the person carrying the pregnancy was not at risk. However, following the Planned Parenthood v. Casey decision in 1992, the trimester framework was supplanted by the concept of fetal viability.
During the last trimester, a state can limit or prohibit abortions in most cases; however, it cannot impose restrictions that would endanger the mother's life. The allowance for the state to regulate is not contingent on factors such as having the official approval of the city mayor or defining life properly, but on the absence of risk to the mother's life.
The legal debate on abortion rights is complex, with many changes occurring over the years since the initial Roe v. Wade decision. The opinions on whether and when to regulate abortions vary, but there are clear constitutional limitations on the government's ability to prohibit abortions entirely, especially when the mother's life is in danger.