WYPR reports that Maryland’s Reproductive Rights Referendum has passed. The 2024 ballot included a question for Maryland voters to decide on an amendment to enshrine the right to abortion and reproductive freedom in the Maryland constitution. 

According to CBS News, after the Supreme Court decided to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, some Maryland lawmakers worked to enshrine reproductive rights into Maryland’s constitution. When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the federal government no longer held up the decision, and abortion rights were passed down to the state’s government. This has resulted in outright abortion bans or restrictions in states like Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Missouri, etc. 

The amendment will also protect patients and providers from criminal, civil, and administrative penalties relating to abortion bans or restrictions in other states. As stated by CBS News, additionally, the amendment would guarantee a right to reproductive freedom, which is defined as “the ability to make and effectuate decisions to prevent, continue, or end one’s own pregnancy.”