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Maine Health Insurance to Cover Abortions Referendum (2019)
| Maine Health Insurance to Cover Abortions Referendum | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 5, 2019 | |
| Topic Abortion and Healthcare | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type Referendum | Origin Citizens |
The Maine Health Insurance to Cover Abortions Referendum was not on the ballot in Maine as a veto referendum on November 5, 2019.
The veto referendum would have repealed Legislative Document 820 (2019), which was designed to require MaineCare, which is Maine's Medicaid program, and private insurance companies that provide coverage for maternity services to also cover abortion services. LD 820 was also written to allow religious employers to request an exemption from providing a healthcare plan that covers abortion services, except to preserve the life or health of the mother.[1]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title would have been as follows:[2]
| “ |
Do you want to reject the new law that requires state-funded coverage for legal abortion services for MaineCare members and requires private insurance companies that provide coverage for maternity services to also cover legal abortion services, with an exception for religious employers?[3] |
” |
Full text
The full text of Legislative Document 820 (LD 820) is available here.
Sponsors
Background
Legislative Document 820 (2019)
Gov. Janet Mills (D) signed Legislative Document 820 (LD 820) into law on June 13, 2019. The Maine House of Representatives passed LD 1313 in a vote of 82-59 on June 12, 2019. The Maine State Senate passed LD 1313 in a vote of 19-16 on June 12, 2019.[5]
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State funding of abortion under Medicaid
The Hyde Amendment of 1977 prohibited the use of federal funds for abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or life endangerment. As of 2019, 34 states followed a similar model. South Dakota provided funding for abortion in cases of life endangerment but not rape or incest. The remaining 15 states provided state funding for most abortions deemed medically necessary.[6]
Path to the ballot
Process in Maine
In Maine, the number of signatures required to qualify a veto referendum for the ballot is equal to 10 percent of the total votes cast for governor in the most recent gubernatorial election. Signatures are due 90 days after the adjournment of the legislative session at which the targeted bill was passed.
The requirements to get a veto referendum certified for the 2019 ballot:
- Signatures: 63,067 valid signatures were required.
- Deadline: The deadline to submit signatures was September 18, 2019.[7]
If enough signatures are verified, the targeted bill goes on the next election ballot at least 60 days away as a referendum.
Stages of this initiative
Penelope Morrell, state director of Concerned Women for America of Maine, filed the veto referendum after the 2019 legislative session adjourned on June 20, 2019. The veto referendum was approved for signature gathering on July 10, 2019.[2] On September 18, 2019, Carroll Conley, executive director of the Christian Civic League of Maine, released a statement, which said, "I am disappointed to announce our efforts to give Maine’s voters a choice to reverse recent legislation legalizing tax-funded abortions and physician-assisted suicide have fallen short on both counts."[8][9]
See also
External links
Legislation
Footnotes
- ↑ Maine Secretary of State, "Legislative Document 820," accessed July 15, 2019
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Maine Secretary of State, "Citizens Initiatives & People's Veto," accessed July 15, 2019
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 The Times Record, "‘People’s veto’ campaigns target new Maine abortion and vaccination laws," June 26, 2019
- ↑ Maine State Legislature, "LD 820 Actions," accessed July 15, 2019
- ↑ Guttmacher Institute, "State Funding of Abortion Under Medicaid," accessed July 15, 2019
- ↑ If signatures are submitted before the 90-day deadline but less than 60 days from the November 2019 election, the referendum would appear at the next statewide election instead.
- ↑ Portland Press Herald, "Maine vaccine opponents submit ‘people’s veto’ petitions," September 18, 2019
- ↑ Dropbox, "Statement 9-18," September 18, 2019
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State of Maine Augusta (capital) |
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