Submitted by:  Anna Shchemelinin

Montanans who believe that CI-128 is necessary to protect women's reproductive rights have to do their homework and learn the facts; pro-CI-128 agitators must stop spreading fear-mongering lies to low-informed, easy-to-manipulate voters. They want people to believe that Republicans want to criminalize all abortions, including in cases of rape and incest, when the mother's life is at risk, and even miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies. They don't want people to know that Republicans already enacted laws that prove that pro-CI-128 propaganda is deceptive misinformation. 

Not only is abortion before fetal viability legal in Montana, but MCA-50-20 is one of the best common-sense abortion laws in the nation, and, unlike CI-128, Montana law clearly defines "fetal viability." CI-128's definition of "fetal viability" is so vague that it puts born-alive premature babies in the category of "non-viable." 

The other two critical differences between MCA-50-20, which was enacted by the Republican-controlled legislature, and CI-128, which is promoted by Democrats, is that, unlike CI-128, MCA-50-20 protects women's rights to informed consent and parental rights to make healthcare decisions for their minor daughters. 

If CI-128 activists really wanted to prevent the government from intervening in our healthcare decisions, they would not mess with the existing abortion laws. Instead, they would work together with conservatives on enacting a law that guarantees our rights to informed consent on all medical treatments, including vaccines, prescription drugs, and elective surgeries, and establishes the age when an individual is considered to be mature enough to make informed decisions over their lives and make this age no younger than an age when an individual can legally buy a firearm. 

Until this happens, Montana's best choice is to get educated, learn the facts, and vote NO on CI-128.

Link to the full text of the proposed CI-128: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e1e5876055a3a2cdb51864b/t/66f563f86f6f5610d6db95f5/1727357946198/2024+Montana+Voter+Information+Pamphlet.pdf

Link to MCA-50-20: https://leg.mt.gov/bills/mca/title_0500/chapters_index.html