The Montana Supreme Court has cleared the way for proponents of a abortion rights ballot initiative to begin collecting signatures.
Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen gave backers the go-ahead to collect signatures in compliance with the court order while also responding to a subpoena for the initiative from state lawmakers.
Republican legislators plan to discuss the proposal and vote on whether they support or oppose it. The result of that vote could appear on the ballot if it advances.
The high court had ordered that a legislative review was not legally required and for the ballot to go straight to signature gathering.
It’s the latest in a fast-paced legal fight ahead of a June deadline for the initiative to gather tens of thousands of signatures needed to qualify for the ballot.
While that process can now begin, the initiative approved by the Secretary of State carries an advisory that it did not follow the ordinary process of receiving a legislative review. Initiative backers said Friday afternoon they are reviewing the final petition before signature collection.
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Six Republican state lawmakers Thursday voted in disapproval of a proposed constitutional amendment to protect access to abortion. -
A campaign for a constitutional abortion rights amendment in Montana may soon begin collecting signatures to put the measure before voters this fall. But that process has been pushed back by Republican officials challenging the initiative’s content and by legal rulings. -
A constitutional amendment to protect abortion moves closer to getting on the ballot. The Republican fight with the judiciary keeps escalating. And the winner of the Republican eastern district congressional primary may boil down to who loves the Trump the most. -
Abortion-rights advocates are asking the Montana Supreme Court to force the secretary of state to allow signature-collecting to begin on a ballot initiative.
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Abortion-rights advocates have asked the Montana Supreme Court to force the secretary of state to allow signature gathering to begin on a ballot initiative. It’s part of a fast-moving legal back-and-forth ahead of a June deadline to collect signatures needed to certify the constitutional initiative for the ballot.
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Republican lawmakers have ordered the Secretary of State to send a proposed ballot initiative to a legislative committee for review before signature-gathering begins. The request escalates tensions between the lawmakers and the state Supreme Court, which said this week such a review wasn’t required.
