ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - A leading Maryland lawmaker says he will introduce a constitutional amendment next year to protect abortion rights.
House Speaker Michael Busch announced Thursday he will introduce the proposal in next year's legislative session. If approved by the General Assembly, it will go on the ballot for voters to decide in 2020.
The Democrat says he is introducing the proposal because the Supreme Court is "currently hanging in the balance" and due to "increasing hostility" toward "women's reproductive rights by this federal Administration."
As a result, he says "we must continue to ensure that a woman's right to choose is protected in the State of Maryland."
While there is currently statutory protection for women to make reproductive choices in Maryland, Busch says that's subject to change annually in the legislature.