Montana's Anti-Abortion Referendum Rejected by Voters

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

62% : But the results of the referendum could be a signal to anti-abortion advocates that pursuing ballot measures might not be an effective strategy moving forward.
62% : But this outcome suggests they're also not willing to support as many restrictions as anti-abortion advocates had hoped.
58% : The ballot measure was opposed by several medical groups, including the Montana chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, which said it would have "criminalized doctors, nurses and health care workers for providing compassionate care for infants," interfered with parents' challenging decisions, and hindered care for newborns with fatal health conditions.."Born alive" arguments have been a focus of anti-abortion advocates for decades.
42% : "It's yet another signal that voters in conservative states, who are certainly not necessarily open to voting for Democratic candidates, are open to voting for access to abortion when the question is presented to them directly."
42% : The state bans abortion at fetal viability, which is about 24 to 26 weeks into pregnancy.
38% : By comparison, the neighboring states of Idaho and South Dakota have some of the country's most restrictive abortion laws, banning abortion entirely with limited exceptions.
38% : And Ziegler sees the Montana referendum as more of a "rhetorical tool" aimed at stigmatizing abortion than as an effort to directly restrict abortion access.

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