Montana has joined seven other states in placing the issue of abortion rights before voters this coming November. The state’s Secretary of State’s Office confirmed the inclusion of an initiative on abortion rights on the general election ballot. This initiative aims to solidify a 1999 Montana Supreme Court decision that established the constitutional right to privacy as protecting the right to a pre-viability abortion. In recent years, Republican lawmakers have attempted to challenge this ruling, particularly after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to leave the abortion issue to individual states following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Martha Fuller, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Montana, expressed concerns about efforts by anti-abortion politicians to restrict abortion access in the state since the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The proposed ballot measure faced opposition, with Republican Attorney General Austin Knudsen initially deeming it legally insufficient. Despite challenges and changes to the signature verification process, supporters gathered over 81,000 signatures, exceeding the required number for the initiative to qualify for the ballot.
Republican lawmakers in Montana have made several attempts to challenge the 1999 state Supreme Court ruling, passing laws that restrict abortion access only to be blocked by courts citing the existing ruling. The recent ruling by the state Supreme Court, allowing minors in Montana to receive abortions without parental permission, adds to the ongoing debate over reproductive rights in the state. Montana voters will have the opportunity to weigh in on this issue in the upcoming general election, following in the footsteps of seven other states that have addressed abortion-related questions since the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
