Parental rights, IVF, immigration: What to expect if Trump defeats Harris
Abortion
Much to the chagrin of pro-life advocacy groups, Trump has repeatedly insisted that he would not sign a federal abortion law if elected, sharing his belief that individual states should decide laws surrounding the contentious issue. He also announced that “under a Trump administration, your government will pay for or your insurance company will be mandated to pay for all costs associated with [in-vitro] fertilization treatment.”
Trump’s position on in-vitro fertilization, an infertility treatment many pro-life activists insist results in the creation of embryos that are often frozen and later destroyed, also did not sit well with leaders in the movement that constitutes a sizable portion of the GOP base.
With Trump indicating support for a “hands-off” policy when it comes to abortion, many of the changes in abortion law will take place at the state level if he wins the election.
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Voters in 10 states are slated to decide the fate of ballot measures that will either directly or indirectly enshrine a right to abortion in respective state constitutions. The states with abortion referendums on the ballot this year are: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada and South Dakota.
New York voters are weighing in on an Equal Rights Amendment, which contains a provision that would add “ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, creed [or], religion, or sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy” to the list of protected characteristics under state law. The measure would effectively create a right to abortion if passed.
Public opinion polling suggests that most of the abortion referendums will pass. In Arizona, a poll of 1,434 registered voters conducted by CBS News and YouGov from Oct. 11-16 found 52% support for the abortion referendum, while opposition was measured at just 33%.
A survey of 977 likely Florida voters conducted by the University of North Florida from Oct. 7-Oct. 18 pegged support for the abortion ballot measure at 60% while opposition registered at 38%. Unlike in other states, Amendment 4 must receive the support of at least 60% of voters to pass.
A September University of Maryland Baltimore County poll of 862 likely voters revealed that 69% of Maryland voters intend to support the abortion ballot measure, while 21% intend to oppose it. According to an October survey of 753 likely Missouri voters conducted by Remington Research Group on behalf of the Missouri Scout, 46% of respondents plan to support establishing a right to abortion while 33% said they would oppose it.
An August SurveyUSA poll based on responses collected from 1,293 Nebraska registered voters showed 45% support for the pro-abortion amendment in the state while measuring opposition at 35%. A September survey of 1,003 New York likely voters from Siena College found that 64% of voters planned on supporting the Equal Rights Amendment in contrast to 23% who said they would oppose it.
A poll of 500 registered voters from South Dakota News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota measured support for establishing a right to abortion at 53% while finding that 35% opposed.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: [email protected]
