A constitutional measure to protect abortion has a spot on Montana’s ballot this fall. Candidates in the U.S. Senate and governor’s races are also highlighting the issue in their campaigns.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester held three campaign rallies over the weekend with Planned Parenthood Action Fund, centering on reproductive rights in his hotly contested re-election campaign.
“You don’t want a politician or a bureaucrat or a judge telling you, especially if you're a woman, what health care decisions you’re going to make, do you? No," Tester said to the crowd.
Tester supported federal legislation to protect abortion access before fetal viability — generally considered to be around 24 weeks. It would also protect abortion post-viability when medically necessary based on the “good-faith medical judgment” of the provider.
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy is anti-abortion and calls Tester’s stance extreme. Sheehy has said "I am proudly pro-life and support commonsense protections for when a baby can feel pain, as well as exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother, and I believe any further limits must be left to each state."
The Libertarian in the U.S. Senate Race, Sid Daoud, has said the government should not regulate abortion.
Support and opposition to a proposal to add protections for abortion to Montana’s Constitution could encourage voter turnout.
Incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte recently told NBC Montana he’ll vote no on that measure.
“I encourage other people to vote no, too. We need to honor life, and this ballot initiative doesn’t do that," Gianforte said.
Gianforte has signed around a dozen anti-abortion bills into law since taking office. The most restrictive last session was a law that effectively banned abortion after 15 weeks. All restrictions are currently tied up in court.
Gianforte’s Democratic challenger Ryan Busse has criticized the governor for that stance. Busse supports constitutional protections for abortion, and says “no politician has any right to make private health care decisions for women.”
Libertarian candidate for governor Kaiser Lieb also supports access to abortion.
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A Helena judge struck down several laws restricting abortion access and ruled they’re unconstitutional. The laws and one state health department rule were adopted by Republican policymakers in 2023. -
Montana lawmakers are once again considering bills that would restrict abortion access. Some of the legislation may directly conflict with the state’s new voter-approved constitutional right to abortion. -
Montana voters approved a constitutional amendment in November to protect access to abortion. What would federal anti-abortion laws mean for Montana's new amendment? -
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on whether minors can get an abortion without parental consent. -
Montana abortion providers will not be subject to new, stringent regulations adopted by the state health department. A judge blocked the rules while a lawsuit plays out. Two Montana clinics sued the state, saying they’ve been singled out for stricter regulation as abortion providers.
