Maryland Considers Creating Constitutional Right to Abortion

Maryland state House Democrats proposed a constitutional amendment Monday enshrining abortion rights within the state, the Associated Press reported.

The proposal was introduced by state House Speaker Adrienne Jones, who said the Supreme Court “has allowed some of the most restricting abortion legislation we’ve seen in a generation,” according to the AP.

Jones appeared to refer to the Supreme Court’s decision to allow the Texas Heartbeat Act, which bans most abortions after six weeks, to stay in effect while the court considers whether the law is constitutional.

If the Maryland General Assembly approves the Right to Reproductive Liberty measure, voters will see the amendment on the ballot in November.

The bill does not specifically mention abortion, but instead refers broadly to “the right to bodily integrity and privacy to make personal decisions about childbearing and procreation.” The amendment would establish that “every person … has the fundamental right to reproductive liberty” and would bar the state government from “directly or indirectly denying, burdening, or abridging” the right to have abortions.

Maryland already has a law that makes abortion legal up to the point of viability. (Excerpts from the Virginia Star)