After the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the precedent (the Roe v. Wade verdict) at the federal level, women’s right to abortion, allowing state authorities to ban it on their territory, five referenda were held on the issue : in California, Vermont, Michigan, Kentucky and Montana.
Abortion rights campaigners celebrated “historic” victories in referendums held on Tuesday, which coincided with the mid-term elections in the United States of America.
After the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the precedent (the Roe v. Wade verdict) at the federal level, women’s right to abortion, allowing state authorities to ban it on their territory, five referenda were held on the issue : in California, Vermont, Michigan, Kentucky and Montana.
Majorities in California, Vermont and Michigan favored reforming their state laws to clearly include women’s right to abortion, according to NBC News and the New York Times. Amendments would guarantee the right to abortion in those states, even if local governments try to pass a law banning it in the future.
While the results of the referendums in the three aforementioned states were seen as expected, the same is not true in Kentucky or Montana, conservative states that also rejected anti-abortion proposals.
“Across the country, we’ve seen a clear rejection of the Supreme Court’s decision,” said Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, which supports women’s abortion rights. “Voters mobilized powerfully to restore the right taken away by the Supreme Court (…). They don’t want politicians to control their bodies and their future,” he stressed.
In August, voters in Kansas (albeit a Republican stronghold) also rejected an anti-abortion proposal.
Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton welcomed the outcome of the referendums. “Looks like women appreciate that we have human rights and vote,” she scathingly commented on Twitter.
While hailing the “historic victory,” the director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Anthony Romero emphasized that “the fight is far from over.” “Every person deserves the right to make personal decisions during pregnancy, and we will not stop fighting until this vision becomes a reality across the country,” she added.
Following the US Supreme Court’s ruling, 15 US states have outlawed abortion completely, and some others have imposed strict restrictions. At least 66 clinics were closed across the country.
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