..."I wanted to do something, but I had no political experience or really any experience in activism," said Amanda Mazur, who lives in rural northwestern Michigan. "But I thought, 'Maybe I can volunteer and just offer something tangible to the movement.'"
Michigan organizers like Mazur [with the auspices of Reproductive Freedom for All, a petition group backed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan], submitted more than 750,000 signatures — a record number, they said — to state election officials in hopes of having the amendment appear on the November ballot.
If just over half those signatures are validated, Michigan voters will decide whether to amend the state's constitution to guarantee broad individual rights to "reproductive freedom" that would cover abortion, contraception, and fertility treatments. It would also prevent the state from regulating abortions later in pregnancy if the patient's "physical or mental health" is at risk,...
In addition to Michigan, California, and Vermont also have ballot measures on constitutional amendments for reproductive rights coming up.
Michigan’s would override a 90-year-old state law that makes abortion a felony even in cases of rape or incest.
In California, November’s Proposition 1 asks voters to the amendment in addition to existing state statutes. Those strategies include legislation signed into law eliminating out-of-pocket expenses for abortion for most Californians, protecting California abortion providers from lawsuits in other states, and state budgeting of $200 million for reproductive and abortion care.
On July 8, Vermont’s Republican governor, Phill Scott announced that Proposal 5 had passed through the General Assembly and would be on the November general election ballot, for voter decision about amending their state constitution.
“Vermont has a long tradition of supporting a woman’s right to choose. These decisions are deeply personal and belong between a woman and her health care provider, free from government interference,” said Gov. Scott. “In Vermont, we solidified the right to choose in law, and now Vermonters have the opportunity to further protect that right in our constitution. It is more important than ever to make sure the women in our state have the right to make their own decisions about their health, bodies, and their futures. In light of the recent decision by the Supreme Court of the United States, I thank members of the General Assembly and other advocates for their foresight and work to bring this question to the November ballot.”
To amend Vermont’s Constitution, the state Senate must, by a two-thirds vote, advance a proposal to the House of Representatives for their concurrence by a simple majority vote. If the House concurs, the proposal is then referred to the next biennial session of the General Assembly, where the House and Senate must, by simple majority, concur with the proposed amendment. If passed, the measure is then brought before Vermont voters by referendum, where a majority of voters must approve for the constitution to be amended. Vermont is regarded as having one of the most difficult constitutional amendment processes in the nation….