2024 Montana Initiative 128
Initiative 128 is a plan that will be on the ballot in Montana on November 5, 2024.[1] It will allow people to have an abortion (a way to end a pregnancy) before the baby can live on its own outside the mother. The government will not be able to stop abortions before that point. If the mother's life or health is in danger, doctors can still perform an abortion after this time. The law will also protect doctors and others who help a person make decisions about their pregnancy.
There have been many court cases about abortion in Montana. In 1999, the Montana Supreme Court said that people have the right to abortion because of the state’s privacy law (a rule that protects personal decisions from government control).[2] Some state leaders, like the governor, tried to change this after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2022 (the Dobbs decision, which ended abortion as a protected right and let states make their own rules).[3] Even though the governor and others have made rules to limit abortion, the courts in Montana have said the right to abortion still stands.[4]
People in Montana feel strongly about this issue. Some groups want to protect the right to abortion. They have raised a lot of money to support Initiative 128.[5] Other groups are against abortion. They have raised less money to fight it. Many important leaders are speaking out on both sides. This shows how important this vote will be.
References
change- ↑ "Montana CI-128, Right to Abortion Initiative (2024)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
- ↑ "Armstrong v. State BDV 97-627 | Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse". clearinghouse.net. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
- ↑ "Supreme Court Case: Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization". Center for Reproductive Rights. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
- ↑ "Weems v. State". Justia Law. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
- ↑ Local, NonStop (2024-10-05). "Montana abortion ballot initiative CI-128 receives $5M boost". NonStop Local Billings. Retrieved 2024-10-17.