• “Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, reproductive rights have been under assault. Last year, hundreds of bad laws were pushed nationwide to restrict reproductive health services or abortion. And next door, the state of West Virginia enacted a near total abortion ban. Maryland currently lacks constitutional protections that guarantee everyone's right to reproductive freedom and abortion access. With reproductive rights under attack, we must amend our state constitution to ensure politicians can never undermine our rights in the future.” -  Freedom in Reproduction – Maryland
  

• “Access to safe, legal, and accessible abortion and reproductive health care is not only a moral imperative, but it also has enormous social, economic, and health benefits to individuals, families, and communities. Bans and restrictions on abortion and reproductive care harm pregnant people with particular impact on people of color, inappropriately interfere in the trusted doctor-patient relationship, are linked to negative maternal health outcomes, and serve an agenda that would have all pregnancy outcomes scrutinized, controlled, and criminalized. We must trust and empower pregnant people to make the best decisions about their lives and their pregnancies.” - Sharon Blugis, Interim Executive Director, Pro-Choice Maryland
  

• “As reproductive rights are being eroded across the country, the General Assembly must act affirmatively to ensure that all Marylanders have the fundamental right to reproductive liberty, regardless of what the Supreme Court or any other state determines. The Constitutional Amendment provides the highest possible level of protection of reproductive freedom in Maryland, and for these reasons we strongly urge a favorable report on SB 798.” - Common Cause Maryland
  

• “Get ready, Maryland! On November 5, 2024,  Maryland voters will have the power to shape the future by deciding on a crucial addition to the state constitution's Declaration of Rights. The proposed amendment defines reproductive freedom as "the ability to make and effectuate decisions to prevent, continue, or end one's own pregnancy". It also states that the state cannot deny, burden, or abridge this right unless it's justified by a compelling state interest achieved by the least restrictive means. So, what does this mean? We have the chance to constutionally define reproductive freedom as the ability to make decisions about pregnancy - whether to prevent it, continue it, or end it - without interference. This amendment ensures that the state cannot stand in the way of these decisions unless it's absolutely necessary, and even then, only if there's no other way to achieve a compelling state interest.” - Reproductive Justice Maryland 
  

• "Senate Bill 798 proposes an amendment to the Maryland Constitution to establish that every person, as a central component of the individual's rights to liberty and equality, has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom. This right includes but is not limited to the ability to prevent, continue, or end their pregnancy. SB 798 also prohibits the State from directly or indirectly denying, burdening, or abridging the right unless justified by a compelling State interest achieved by the least restrictive means. Although the State of Maryland already has codified reproductive freedom laws, we need to guarantee that this religious freedom is ensured for all." - Jewish Community Relations Council
  

• “The State of Maryland has a duty to put patients before profits. All medical practices and procedures should be subject to reasonable health and safety regulations that protect patients from medical negligence. This deceptive "Reproductive Freedom" amendment would prohibit protections for patients. This amendment does not contain minimum age or parental consent requirements which protect minor children from predatory and experimental medical practices. This deceptive amendment would restrict basic rights, such as free speech, religious freedom, and conscience protections. If approved by voters in November 2024, Maryland taxpayers will fully fund these radical elective procedures through Medicaid and private health insurance providers thus increasing healthcare costs for all. ” - Health Not Harm Maryland

• “Concerned citizens should vote NO to this extreme ballot question which if ratified by voters in November 2024, will amend the Maryland Constitution to forever deprive preborn children their God-given right to life and impose new rights to unlimited, inhumane and taxpayer funded elective abortions through birth. The amendment would trample upon fundamental rights of parents, citizens, medical providers and churches and threaten the very existence of Pregnancy Resource Centers.” - Maryland Right to Life 
  

• “This amendment would encourage repealing any essential criminal penalties and legal limitations on abortion providers, which will enable life-threatening and hazardous abortion procedures to persist with virtually no accountability. Further, repeals of mandatory reporting laws in this state have led to the denial of justice for victims of rape or sex trafficking, as these crimes will no longer be reported. Lastly, this amendment will undermine parental rights as there is no notification necessary to parents that their child is seeking an abortion if, based on the physician's assessment, that minor demonstrates ‘maturity’ and ‘capability’ to provide informed consent to undergo an abortion.” - Jeffrey S. Trimbath, President and Jonathan M. Alexandre, Legislative Counsel, Maryland Family Institute
  

• “Question 1 would enshrine abortion the legal killing of unborn children until birth in the Maryland Constitution. Maryland — a state founded to protect those being unjustly persecuted — would enshrine in its constitution the ability to kill completely vulnerable, completely defenseless, completely innocent unborn children. Not only this, but Question 1 would remove parental involvement form any decision children make involving ‘reproductive freedom.’ This means a 13-year-old girl could be taken by a sex trafficker to get an abortion without her parents ever knowing, or a 12-year-old boy could decide to have gender transition surgery without his parents’ knowledge or consent. Marylanders must reject this amendment.” - Mary Szoch, Director, Center for Human Dignity, Family Research Council 
  

• “Question 1 on your Maryland election ballot this fall, the “Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment,” would enshrine abortion in the Maryland constitution if passed. It would not change the availability of abortion, but would remove the few safeguards in place, limit healthcare access for women and hinder a woman’s personal decisions for pregnancy, including abortion pill reversal. As a constitutional amendment it would be a permanent change that would take away our legislators’ flexibility to craft laws that best serve women’s needs and interests. That includes future safeguards for women’s health.” - Maryland Catholic Conference  
  

Committees formed to SUPPORT the Maryland Question 1, Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment (2024):

FREEDOM IN REPRODUCTION - MARYLAND, INC.

Selected Contributions TO Freedom in Reproduction - Maryland, Inc.* include:

• Planned Parenthood
• Planned Parenthood of Metro Washington DC
• Nancy Hackerman
• Alexandra Ledbetter
• Robert Meyerhoff
  

*TO VIEW FINANCIAL REPORTS BY COMMITTEE:

• Click on the link - this will bring you to the Maryland Campaign Reporting Information System.
  
• Enter the committee's name in the "Receiving Committee" dialog box (2nd box from the left titled "Receiver").
• Select any other filters you may want, such as "Filing Year" and/or "Start Date" and "End Date" in the right hand box titled "Financial Information".
  
• Then click on the "Search" button.

Committees formed to OPPOSE the Maryland Question 1, Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment (2024):

HEALTH NOT HARM MD

Selected Contributions TO Health Not Harm MD* include:

• Donald Burke
  
• Frederick County Right to Life
  
• Law Office of Robert A. Brocate, PA
  
• Mary McDonald Hand
  
• Edward F Tennant, Jr.