7 States Pass Measures to Protect Reproductive Rights

There was more on the ballot yesterday than presidential candidates. In 10 states, measures that would protect reproductive rights were voted on.

In five states—Colorado, Maryland, Montana, Nevada, and New York—the right to abortion was enshrined in the state’s constitution, ensuring that pregnant people have access to abortion up to the point of fetal viability.

Missouri’s amendment passed with significant impact, expanding abortion access in a state where the procedure had been banned with no exceptions for rape or incest. With the state’s ban overturned, the amendment passed will allow “a person to have the fundamental right to make and carry out decisions relating to reproductive health care, including abortion and contraceptives,” as stated on the ballot. Similarly, in Arizona, an amendment is expected to overturn the existing 15-week abortion ban, restoring broader access to reproductive care.

However, in Florida, despite a majority of voters (57.2 percent) supporting the right to abortion up to viability, the amendment failed to meet the 60 percent threshold needed for passage, leaving the state’s six-week ban in place. Efforts to protect abortion rights also fell short in South Dakota, and Nebraska’s votes are still being tallied on two competing amendments.

The right to reproductive care in states across the US becomes critical as reports emerge of pregnant women in states like Texas and Georgia being denied or delayed life-saving care due to restrictive abortion bans that could open hospitals and healthcare workers up to legal action. In October of last year, 18-year-old Texas resident Nevaeh Crain died after seeking care at three hospitals on the day of her baby shower—the last of which insisted on performing two ultrasounds to confirm fetal death while Crain descended into critical condition and bled out internally.

Bans aren’t just having an impact on women’s healthcare either. In Texas infant deaths and birth defects have increased in the wake of the state’s abortion ban. In states like Alabama, fertility treatments like in-vitro fertilization (IVF) recently faced scrutiny under abortion laws with many clinics choosing to pause treatments for a time. While a new law protecting IVF in Alabama passed in March, the battle over it is likely to continue to unfold in states across the country. On February 28, US Senate Republicans blocked a bill that would protect the right to IVF on the federal level, insisting that the decision belonged with each state.

These measures reflect a growing legislation of reproductive rights across the US, with life-altering consequences for parents and families navigating healthcare. As battles continue, the rights of individuals to access comprehensive reproductive care will remain a central issue for many Americans, with outcomes that will shape family health, safety and autonomy for years to come.