Abortion rights advocates in Nevada announced on Monday that they have successfully gathered enough signatures to meet the requirements for a ballot measure. This measure aims to solidify and protect abortion rights within the state’s constitution.
Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom, the group responsible for the petition, has gathered over 200,000 signatures from voters across all 17 counties. This number is twice the required threshold of 102,362 signatures needed to qualify for the November 2024 election.
The amendment proposes to grant individuals a fundamental right to undergo an abortion performed or administered by a qualified healthcare practitioner. This right would be protected until the fetus is viable or when it becomes necessary to protect the life or health of the pregnant patient. The amendment aims to prevent any interference from the state or its political subdivisions in this matter.
The signatures on the petition for the ballot measure must be validated by the Nevada Secretary of State’s office in order for the proposed amendment to be certified. Once it is on the ballot, it will be subject to voting in 2024 and 2026 before it can be officially enacted as a constitutional amendment.
Lindsey Harmon, the president of Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom, emphasized that the significant number of signatures reflects the importance of protecting reproductive rights, irrespective of political affiliations.
According to the speaker, there is a significant amount of bipartisan and non-partisan support for the issue at hand. It is anticipated that individuals from both the Republican and Democratic parties will unite in 2024 to address this matter. The accessibility of abortion is widely favored in Nevada, and the speaker expresses gratitude for the opportunity to provide a safe environment for patients in need of care.
The group was also working on another measure that aimed to grant all residents the right to make decisions about various aspects of pregnancy. This included choices related to abortion, abortion care, birth control, vasectomies, tubal ligation, and infertility care.
In November 2023, a lower court issued a ruling blocking the petition from progressing further. The court deemed the petition as misleading and found it to be in violation of the single-subject rule. This rule mandates that an initiative petition proposing a constitutional amendment must solely focus on a single subject.
The decision, made in April 2024, was later reversed by the state Supreme Court. They argued that all the terms mentioned in the case fell under the category of “reproductive rights.”
“The opinion stated that it is improper to argue that all the medical procedures included in the initiative petition, which pertain to reproduction, cannot be addressed collectively just because they are distinct procedures.”
Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom intends to pursue the narrower measure, according to the organization.
“We are committed to sticking with the language that has been circulated for 2024. However, it is crucial to take a proactive approach in demonstrating that reproductive rights are an essential component of healthcare. These rights are of utmost importance to individuals and are fundamental to the overall well-being of our democracy,” emphasized Harmon. “While our current focus is on the upcoming election, we are also actively seeking opportunities to be more proactive in the future.”
According to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group focused on sexual and reproductive rights, abortions are allowed in Nevada after 24 weeks gestation.
Nevada law provides protection for individuals who enter or exit abortion clinics, ensuring that they are safeguarded from harassment and physical harm. Furthermore, in 2023, a shield law was enacted to protect abortion providers from investigations initiated by other states.
Abortion rights advocates argue that incorporating safeguards into the state constitution will strengthen current protections and create more obstacles for their potential overturning, especially in light of the evolving national landscape surrounding abortion access.
President Joe Biden is committed to protecting women’s reproductive rights and advocating for unrestricted access to abortion at a national level.
According to Harmon, it is crucial to keep in mind that this issue revolves around bodily autonomy and individual freedoms. Therefore, he believes that it should be included in the state constitution to reinforce and safeguard access to abortion. Harmon also points out that many legislators in other states have been imposing abortion bans against the wishes of the people. In Nevada, they want to ensure that they are taking every possible step to protect reproductive rights. They aim to give the people of Nevada the chance to vote on this matter, taking it out of the hands of elected officials and returning the decision to the people.
