Abortion rights activists in Maryland launched a campaign on Monday to enshrine abortion access into the state’s constitution.
Maryland is one of at least 11 states that could see a similar initiative on the ballot in November. The ballot initiatives are aimed at expanding abortion access and circumventing state legislation that places limits on the procedure.
Critics of the measure in Maryland, as well as many of the others across the country, are calling out the initiative for requiring taxpayers to fund late-term abortions, as well as opening the door for states to get rid of parental consent requirements for minors seeking abortions and other medical interventions.
As the Washington Examiner has reported, the passage of similar amendments in Michigan and Ohio has resulted in activists stripping parents of their ability to have a say in their child’s sexual and reproductive medical care in those states.
Members of the group Freedom in Reproduction Maryland announced their ballot initiative in front of the state Capitol in Annapolis on Monday, using the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, which was overturned in 2022, as the backdrop.
Maryland first lady Dawn Moore spoke at the announcement and used the opportunity to criticize neighboring West Virginia for its passage of protections that encourage women to bring their pregnancies to term.
“Immediately after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, too many states have turned their backs to women,” Moore said. “While states like our neighbor West Virginia passed a near-total abortion ban and closed their doors on reproductive rights, Maryland has opened ours.”
Abortion is already legal in Maryland, which does not place any limitations on the procedure. Pregnant women can terminate at any time during their pregnancy and for any reason. In addition, a 1991 referendum was passed in the Old Line State, with 62% of voters supporting keeping the procedure legal if the Supreme Court ever overturned Roe.
Moore said that the new amendment would stand as a bulwark against anyone who would try to restrict the procedure into the future, no matter who the people choose to represent them in government.
“If we vote ‘yes’ on reproductive freedom, our rights will be protected well into the future, no matter who’s in office, but if we fall short, if we don’t get it done, I promise there’s always going to be someone out there looking to turn back the clock,” she said.
Health Not Harm MD, an organization opposed to the initiative, criticized the measure for requiring taxpayers to fund abortions, degrading parental rights, and weakening health and safety standards, according to its website.
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“Health Not Harm MD is fighting back against the so-called ‘Reproductive Freedom’ amendment because it would outlaw protections for the most vulnerable and would eliminate basic health and safety regulations that exist to protect women and children,” the group stated.
“We believe that parents must have the right to make medical decisions for their minor children. Especially high-risk procedures like late-term abortions or gender transition surgeries,” the group continued. “But this radical amendment is an all-out assault on parental rights and would abolish parental notification and consent requirements which protect minor children from predatory practices.”
