A proposed amendment to the state’s constitution that would have enshrined a right to abortion and other forms of “reproductive health care” failed Friday to gain the support necessary to be placed before voters in November for final approval.
In Maine, resolutions proposing amendments to the state constitution must be backed by at least two-thirds of the members present in each chamber in order to be placed on the ballot for final approval by voters at the next election.
On Friday — the last day of this Legislative session — lawmakers in the Senate considered this resolution for a final time, echoing their earlier roll call on this measure by voting strictly along partisan lines and again coming up short of the requisite two-thirds support needed for it to advance.
Since this proposal also failed to gain two-thirds support in the House when it was considered in April, a question concerning the proposed amendment will not appear on the ballot this November.
[RELATED: Abortion Amendment Fails to Gain Support in Maine House of Representatives]
If it had been approved, this amendment would have declared that “every person has a right to reproductive autonomy” that may not be “den[ied] or infringe[d]” upon by the “State nor any political subdivision of the State.”
The proposed amendment read in full:
Every person has a right to reproductive autonomy. Neither the State nor any political subdivision of the State may deny or infringe on a person’s right to reproductive autonomy unless the denial or infringement is justified by a compelling state interest and is accomplished using the least restrictive means necessary. Nothing in this section narrows or limits a person’s right to privacy or equal protection.
For purposes of this section, the State’s or a political subdivision’s interest in denying or infringing on a person’s right to reproductive autonomy is “compelling” only if it is for the limited purpose of protecting the health of the person seeking care, is consistent with accepted clinical standards of practice and evidence-based medicine and does not infringe on the person’s autonomous decision making.
[RELATED: Mainers Gather for Public Hearing on Amendment Enshrining Abortion in State Constitution]
Sen. Eloise Vitelli (D-Sagadahoc) — the sponsor of LD 780, the resolution behind this amendment — spoke briefly on the Senate floor before the final roll call vote was taken Friday afternoon.
She urged lawmakers to support the measure by emphasizing that approval from the chamber would not result in the amendment being added to the constitution, but instead would give Maine voters the opportunity to weigh in on the matter for themselves.
“This isn’t ultimately about what anyone in this room believes reproductive autonomy does or doesn’t mean,” Sen. Vitelli said. “A vote in favor of this motion will send the matter to voters for their consideration.”
“I firmly believe that every Maine citizen deserves the ability to weigh in on what rights are enshrined in our constitution, including the right to reproductive autonomy,” Vitelli continued. “If this path is not what Mainers want, then surely they will make that known at the ballot box.”
With a party-line roll call vote of 21-13, LD 780 again came up short of the two-thirds support necessary to put the proposal on the ballot. One lawmaker was excused at the time this vote was taken, meaning that at least 23 senators needed to vote in the affirmative for this bill to advance.
While all Republican senators expressed opposition to LD 780, all Democrat members of the Senate voted in support of the resolution.
Excused at the time of this vote was Sen. Anne Carney (D-Cumberland).
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="27917 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=27917">3 Comments
Constitutional Amendments mean nothing to Maine democRATS, so why add new ones ?
These are some of faces of an utterly depraved sub-human species walking among us. They probably all have bumper stickers that read, “Harm an animal, go to jail.”
Rhe satanists in Augusta lost one?
Maybe there is hope for ME