Left-wing activists in Nevada submitted signatures on Monday for a ballot measure that would enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution.
A coalition called Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom, which includes pro-abortion organizations and Planned Parenthood affiliates, announced it had collected more than 200,000 signatures from registered voters, surpassing the 103,000 needed to qualify for the ballot in November, NBC News reported.
“The number of signatures gathered in just over three months shows how deeply Nevadans believe in abortion rights and its importance to this moment in our nation’s history,” Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom President Lindsey Harmon said at a Monday press conference.
Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom President Lindsey Harmon speaks during a news conference on May 20, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
State officials must review the signatures by July 8 in order to certify the proposed amendment for the ballot, according to the report.
The proposed amendment would further expand the state constitution to include the “fundamental right to reproductive freedom,” including prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, vasectomy, tubal ligation, abortion, and “abortion care.”
The amendment allows state lawmakers to regulate abortion after “fetal viability,” which is around 22 to 24 weeks of pregnancy, but allows abortions throughout pregnancy if “in the professional judgment of an attending provider of health care, [the abortion] is medically indicated to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant individual.”
If the proposed measure passes in November, it would have to pass again in 2026 before being added to the constitution, per state law.
In Nevada, a statute was upheld through a referendum vote in 1990 allowing abortion through 24 weeks of pregnancy. The law allows abortions throughout pregnancy when the life of the mother is in danger or for health reasons.
Nevada is one of nearly a dozen states where activists are working to codify the right to abortion.
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Truth Voices. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.
