x
Breaking News
More () »

Push to amend Maine’s constitution to better protect reproductive rights

Mainers for and against bill LD 780 gathered at the State House in Augusta on the 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade for a rally and public hearing.

AUGUSTA, Maine — On the 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade, dozens of Mainers gathered in Augusta—ready to make their voices heard regarding reproductive rights. Some of them support the right to choose, while others do not—but there is one common thread: the conversation surrounding abortion is fiery and passionate, no matter how you look at it.

About a year and a half ago, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe, which for decades had established a constitutional right to abortion for Americans. Now, some political leaders in Maine are working to make sure the Pine Tree State doesn’t see a similar upheaval. Sen. Eloise Vitelli, D-Arrowsic, is sponsoring LD 780, a "Resolution, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Protect Personal Reproductive Autonomy." She said her goal is to take politics out of abortion and abortion out of politics.

“If somebody challenged our rights under our existing constitution, who knows where it might end up,” Vitelli said, later adding, “One of the reasons we’re putting this forward now is a desire to finally get this issue settled—and to make sure that we close as many loopholes as we can.”

Vitelli said while Maine’s current constitution does have language supporting reproductive rights, she wants to see it strengthened to prevent misinterpretations by the courts. She said if the Maine Legislature passes this bill with a two-thirds majority, it will then head to our state’s voters in November. Per standard procedure—they will make the decision regarding a constitutional amendment.

“I think of a matter of this importance—it has been described as a fundamental human right—that’s where it belongs. It belongs in the decision of the people themselves,” Vitelli said.

A number of Mainers attended a rally and public hearing for LD 780 on Monday, including Lisa Margulies, the vice president of public affairs in Maine for Planned Parenthood of Northern New England.

“The majority of Americans support reproductive autonomy. This is demonstrated in poll after poll,” Margulies said, noting she’s confident Maine voters would choose to amend the constitution because of a trend recently in other states.

“In every state where these sorts of questions have been asked to the public, the public has resoundingly said, ‘Yes, we would like to see our constitutional rights enshrined,’” Margulies said, adding this has happened in both blue and red areas.

Physician Dr. Connie Adler, who practices in Farmington, is part of a group called Grandmothers for Reproductive Rights.

“I’m one of the people who remember the years before Roe,” Adler said. “I had friends who had abortions and were very endangered by those abortions. I remember marching before Roe—for Roe. To have that be reversed was calamitous and so manipulative.”

Adler said she believes abortion is health care and doesn’t want the government to limit people’s rights.

“This is not something that legislators ought to be legislating,” Adler said.

Other rally attendants, like Kate Parker-Harding, a 19-year-old from Sidney, disagree.

“You can’t take back an abortion. You can’t take back ending the life of your child,” Parker-Harding said.

She said the issue hits close to home for her, too, in a different way.

“A personal reason would be I have a godson who was born four years ago, and his mother was hours away from choosing to abort him,” Parker-Harding said. “I know there would be so many lives changed if we didn’t have that little boy in our lives.”

Sen. Lisa Keim said she opposes LD 780, especially after Gov. Janet Mills signed a bill into law over the summer that allows abortions at any time, if a doctor deems it to be medically necessary.

“Maine has the most expansive abortion law in the entire nation,” Keim said.

She said she thinks this bill is a “fear-mongering” technique and said she’s worried about ambiguous language that could have unintended consequences.

“'A right to reproductive autonomy' is a very umbrella term that could mean so much more than abortion,” Keim said.

She said she also has other concerns.

“I think that there is opportunity here also for coercion, for women to feel more coercion towards having an abortion,” Keim added.

This legislative session wraps up in mid-April, so legislators are hoping to have a decision by then. If this bill is passed, the resolution would go to voters in November. Gov. Mills’ office released a statement Monday, saying she supports LD 780.

More NEWS CENTER Maine stories

For the latest breaking news, weather, and traffic alerts, download the NEWS CENTER Maine mobile app.

Before You Leave, Check This Out