Town Crier “Briefs from the Region” (1) – 4/27/21
Montana has long stayed out of the nationwide debate about abortion access, a position that changed this week after Gov. Greg Gianforte signed House Bills 140, 136 and 171 on April 26. All bills hinder a woman’s ability to access abortion services, including banning abortions after 20 weeks, requiring a physician to provide life-saving care to newborns and requiring a woman to undergo an ultrasound before a procedure. These bills may challenge the 1999 state Supreme Court decision in Armstrong v. State that protected a woman’s right to abortion under “procreative autonomy.” The court’s opinion reasoned protection based on the same laws that protect Montanans from government surveillance and disclosure of personal information. Read Montana Free Press’ full coverage of what’s to come.
