One Ballot Measure for 2024
For the full list of referendums we’re tracking, see our home page.
Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment
on Ballot: November 5, 2024
We regard a “no” vote as helpful to the goal of ending violence.
See the Ballotpedia page for information and updates.
See our page on State Constitutions and Abortion for more information about what’s happening around the U.S.
The measure would add this provision to the state’s Declaration of Rights: “That every person, as a central component of an individual’s rights to liberty and equality, has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom, including but not limited to the ability to make and effectuate decisions to prevent, continue, or end one’s own pregnancy. The state may not, directly or indirectly, deny, burden, or abridge the right unless justified by a compelling state interest achieved by the least restrictive means.”
Abortion isn’t Freedom for Women
Setting aside the violence (and therefore lack of equal protection) done to unborn children, a point which proponents of this measure steadfastly ignore, the rhetoric they use about women also steadfastly ignores harm done. Here are some of the Consistent Life Network’s blog posts that explain this. They can offer good ideas for opponents of this measure to use in their work:
Abortion and Violence Against Pregnant Women
How Abortion is Useful for Rape Culture
The Message of “Never Rarely Sometimes Always”: Abortion Gets Sexual Predators Off the Hook
Abortion Facilitates Sex Abuse: Documentation
Specific to Maryland:
Problems of Planned Parenthood
Annapolis Health Violation Documents:
Highlights:
Clinic Conditions
The autoclave, used to sterilize dirty instruments, wasn’t properly sanitized or maintained. There was no documentation that basic maintenance was performed, and it was leaking onto shelves below.
Routine spore testing (for mold) wasn’t conducted on the autoclave.
Baltimore Health Violation Documents:
Highlights:
Staff
A member of the nursing staff didn’t appear to have experience or documentation of training to be competent in administering and monitoring intravenous sedation yet was administering sedation.
Staff wasn’t trained in the process for emergency transfer of a patient to the hospital in case of a complication. The manager acknowledged the staff member in question hadn’t been trained.
A member of the staff had no certification or training in CPR and basic life support.
Medical Records and Labels
All five patient medical records examined were missing information. In all cases, the patients’ discharge diagnosis had been omitted.
911 Dispatch Ambulance Calls
(Planned Parenthood only – other abortion clinics not yet included)
Annapolis – October 4, 2016
Baltimore – December 7, 2018 and October 2, 2019
Website sponsored by: The Consistent Life Network
See our blog: CLN Blog
Our weekly e-newsletter: Peace & Life Connections
Contact: CLNeditors@googlegroups.com