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Abortion in Maryland

Abortion in Maryland is legal at all stages of pregnancy.[1][2][3] The first laws regulating abortion in the state were passed in 1867 and 1868, banning abortion except by a physician to "secure the safety of the mother."[4] Abortion providers continued to operate both within and outside of the law.[5] Legal enforcement became more strict from the 1940s through 60s, with numerous police raids on abortion providers.[6] In 1968, Maryland passed a liberalized abortion law that clarified the wording of the previous law, allowing abortion in hospital settings in cases of rape, severe fetal deformity, or when life and health were endangered.[7]

In 1973, the Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade made abortion legal without restrictions until the third trimester of pregnancy, overruling Maryland law. After Roe, clinics opened in the state to provide abortions outside of hospitals, and Planned Parenthood began providing outpatient abortion services.[8] In 1991 the Maryland General Assembly passed a law that codified Roe v. Wade, guaranteeing the right to abortion. Anti-abortion groups successfully petitioned to bring the law to a public referendum. Question 6, to uphold the abortion rights bill, passed in 1992 with 62% of voters in favor and 38% opposed.[7]

Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization overturned the federally-protected right to abortion in 2022; abortion remains legal in Maryland, and the Maryland General Assembly passed the Abortion Care Access Act, expanding the types of healthcare providers who can perform abortions and funding increased training.[9][10] A referendum on amending the state constitution to enshrine abortion rights passed in 2024.[11][12]

In a 2014 poll by the Pew Research Center, 64% of Maryland adults said that abortion should be legal in all or most cases and 33% said that it should be illegal in all or most cases.[13] A 2021 Goucher College Poll found that 88% of Maryland respondents support legal abortion. 44% support legal abortion in all circumstances, 44% support it under certain circumstances, and 10% think abortion should be illegal.[14][15]

In February 2024, the Moore administration announced over $15 million in grant awards and a budget proposal to further improve reproductive health care and abortion access in Maryland. It includes $10.6 million in grant funding awarded to the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) to administer the state's Abortion Care Clinical Training Program. Specifically aiming to train clinicians in rural and underserved areas of the state.[16][17] The administration also is proposing for FY 2025, that $5 million be allocated to increase Medicaid provider reimbursement for reproductive services and abortion care.[18]

  1. ^ Institute, Guttmacher. "Interactive Map: US Abortion Policies and Access After Roe". states.guttmacher.org. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  2. ^ "Where Can I Get an Abortion? | U.S. Abortion Clinic Locator". www.abortionfinder.org. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  3. ^ "Roe v. Wade (1973)". LII / Legal Information Institute. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  4. ^ The Maryland Code: Public general laws. J. Murphy & Company. 1868. pp. 105–106.
  5. ^ Lader, Lawrence (1966). Abortion. Internet Archive. Indianapolis : Bobbs-Merrill.
  6. ^ Reagan, Leslie J. (1997). When abortion was a crime. Internet Archive. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-21657-0.
  7. ^ a b Segers, Mary C.; Byrnes, Timothy A. (2016-09-16). Abortion Politics in American States. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-315-28671-6.
  8. ^ Kobren, G (Apr 24, 1977). "Planned Parenthood battle not over yet". The Baltimore Sun. pp. T1. ProQuest 541132398. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ de Vogue, Ariane (June 24, 2022). "Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade". CNN. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  11. ^ Cox, Erin (March 30, 2023). "Maryland voters to see constitutional referendum on abortion rights". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  12. ^ "AP Race Call: Maryland voters approve constitutional amendment enshrining abortion". AP News. 2024-11-06. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  13. ^ "Religious Landscape Study". Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  14. ^ Kromer, Mileah (October 26, 2021). "Goucher College Poll" (PDF). p. 12.
  15. ^ Venable, Stella Krajick and Kiyah (2021-11-11). "Support for abortion growing over time". Baltimore Fishbowl. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  16. ^ Brown, Danielle J. (2024-02-14). "Moore announces reproductive health access expansions amid uncertain U.S. abortion landscape". Maryland Matters. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
  17. ^ Ash, Sarah (2024-02-12). "$15.6 million announced to improve abortion care services in Maryland". 47abc. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
  18. ^ Gill, Chaz (2024-02-12). "Governor Moore Announces $15.6 Million Investment to Improve Abortion Care Access in MD". WBOC TV. Retrieved 2024-02-16.

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