Maryland voters approved a constitutional amendment put on the ballot by the Democratic-controlled legislature that would enshrine a broad right to abortion and other reproductive rights, according to a projection by Decision Desk HQ.
Question 1 amends the state constitution to include “a right to reproductive freedom” — which in addition to abortion, includes language protecting the rights to contraception and other pregnancy-related health care.
Already, abortion in Maryland is legal up to fetal viability, typically around 22 to 25 weeks. The state allows abortions after that point if pregnancy poses a threat to the person’s life or health or if there is a fetal anomaly.
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Public health insurance plans such as Medicaid are required to cover abortion, and the state’s shield law protects abortion providers who care for patients from states with bans. The state is also home to one of the country’s few all-trimester abortion clinics.
