Maryland Gov. Wes Moore Signs “Kill More Babies” Bills to Expand Abortions

State   |   Micaiah Bilger   |   May 3, 2023   |   6:14PM   |   Annapolis, Maryland

Surrounded by abortion activists, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed several pro-abortion bills Wednesday to expand the killing of unborn babies in abortions in his state.

One bill, which Moore signed even though he did not have to, would create an unrestricted right to kill unborn babies in abortions in the Maryland Constitution. To pass, the amendment also must be approved by voters on the ballot in 2024.

“In this moment of serious consequences for women and for all Marylanders, Maryland can and will lead on this issue of abortion access,” the Democrat governor said. “Maryland will always be a safe haven for abortion access and abortion rights.”

According to the Associated Press, Moore also signed bills to protect abortionists from being punished for aborting unborn babies in violation of other states’ pro-life laws, and to require public colleges and universities to develop plans to begin providing abortion pills on campus.

Pro-abortion lawmakers who joined him for the signing ceremony insisted that supporting abortion on demand up to birth is reasonable, The Baltimore Banner reports.

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“Reproductive care is health care. It is not a debate. It is not a question and we’re making sure that it never is in Maryland,” state House of Delegates Speaker Adrienne A. Jones said.

Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson made a similar comment Wednesday when he refused to accept the fact that abortion is a “controversial topic.”

“I’d like to rephrase that statement, that sentiment, and say that we didn’t take on controversial topics,” Ferguson said. “We made bold decisions on topics that needed to be addressed.”

Maryland law already allows unborn babies to be aborted for any reason up to birth, but the proposed constitutional amendment would make it more difficult for future state legislatures to pass any protections for unborn babies and mothers against abortion.

If a majority of voters approve the amendment in 2024, the Maryland Constitution would include a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom,” including abortion, and prohibit the state from “denying, burdening or abridging” that right.

Earlier this spring, Laura Bogley, executive director of Maryland Right to Life, expressed disappointment at the passage of the legislation but said pro-life advocates will not give up hope.

“It goes without saying that we will have much work to do together over the next year and a half to launch a statewide ballot issue campaign against this amendment,” Bogley said in an email to supporters. “But I am encouraged by the strong partnerships we have developed over the last five years.”

Meanwhile, abortion activists say more women have been traveling to Maryland for abortions this year. Since the U.S. Supreme Court ruling Dobbs v. Jackson, two new abortion facilities opened in the state, including one that aborts viable, late-term unborn babies.

Bogley said the amendment would hurt the very people who abortion activists claim to want to help: women. She said it also could be used to silence pro-life sidewalk counselors and shut down pregnancy resource centers.

And for pregnant women and girls in need, the state offers “nothing more than unlimited access to abortion,” Bogley continued.

Although pro-abortion lawmakers claim abortion is health care, Bogley said state laws and policies do not treat it that way. Unlike other medical facilities, abortion facilities are not held accountable if they fail to meet basic health and safety standards, such as mandatory reporting of suspected sexual abuse or human trafficking, she said. Doctors no longer are required to be involved in abortions either, and do-it-yourself abortions are allowed via the abortion pill.

As a result, the Maryland abortion industry is “dangerous” and “substandard” — basically legal “back alley” abortions, Bogley said.

State taxpayers also are forced to fund elective abortions, and, according to the Maryland Department of Legislative Services, they spend about $6.5 million to fund nearly 10,000 elective abortions annually. Millions more go to the abortion industry to teach sex education in public schools and train future abortionists.

The state does not collect abortion data, so it is not clear exactly how many unborn babies are killed there every year. Johnstons Archive reported an estimated 30,750 abortions in 2020 based on research from the Guttmacher Institute.

Since the Dobbs ruling in June, the pro-abortion movement has been trying to create a “right” to abort unborn babies in state constitutions through ballot initiatives. Vermont, California and Michigan passed pro-abortion constitutional amendments in November, and abortion activists are trying to advance similar measures in Connecticut, Ohio, Missouri and South Dakota.

Several states have pro-life constitutional amendments that voters passed in recent years, including Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee and West Virginia.

Currently, 15 states are enforcing pro-life laws that prohibit or strictly limit the killing of unborn babies in abortions, and others are fighting in court to do the same. Pro-life leaders estimate tens of thousands of babies’ lives have been saved since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June.

Polls consistently show a strong majority of Americans support legal protections for unborn babies, especially after the first trimester or once their heartbeat is detectable.