On June 24th, the Supreme Court delivered one of its most anticipated verdicts regarding the legal status of abortions on a federal level. The 5-4 decision completely reversed the abortion regime that has been in place for nearly half a century, and returned the decision “To the people and their elected representatives”, signifying that the issue was now one to be resolved in the state legislatures.
Following this landmark development, almost all states saw a flurry of lawsuits and legal disputes surrounding the so-called ‘trigger laws’ and other issues. One proposed solution to the conundrum was to enshrine abortion rights into the state law through constitutional amendment. Here are some of the state that took this path in the lead-up to the November mid-term elections:-
Kansas
As the first state this year to definitively decide the issue, the Sunflower State decided to vote on a constitutional amendment before the November vote. In an optimistic harbinger of what is to come, the overwhelming majority of the conservative state rejected the amendment that would have allowed state legislature to enact abortion further restrictions. The August referendum saw a historic turnout of people, which also pokes a dent into the flawed assumption that reproductive rights are not a major election concern for the American people.
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is yet another agricultural state that is currently struggling with the status of abortion. And while the proposed amendment in question is nearly identical to that rejected in Kansas, abortion is currently banned almost completely in Kentucky. Much like most of the other states that we will discuss, the issue in Kentucky will be decided in the November ballot box.
Michigan
Michigan is the only State in the upper Midwest that will call on a popular vote this November to decide the future of reproductive rights for its citizens.
The decision to hold a referendum in November was reached after a long saga between the state authorities and courts. After the Michigan Board of State Canvassers refused to subject the contentious question to public scrutiny, the state Court of Claims eventually forced the hand of the Republican-controlled state legislature by both annulling a 1931 ban and allowing the issue to be decided by voters in November. It is now up to the people of Michigan to protect women’s rights without unrequited interruption from the lawmakers.
Vermont
Vermont is the only state in the northeast which is currently fighting for the protection of reproductive rights. Responding to overwhelming public support, the Vermont state legislature actually voted to approve an amendment, subject to popular vote in November, which will sanction access to abortion months before the Supreme Court draft was leaked, becoming the very first state in the nation to do so. Around 70% of Vermont voters are expected to support the amendment, which will then become official before the end of the year.
California
Out of the states which are nearly certain to vote ‘Yes’ to constitutional protection for reproductive rights, California was also one of the first one to delegate the decision to the state voters after the SCOTUS decision came out. In fact, the state assembly had already voted to put the issue on the November ballot merely days after the ruling.
The proposed amendment is almost certain to pass, which will safeguard access to abortion for tens of millions of women in the most populous state in the Union.