A proposed state constitutional amendment enshrining the right to reproductive freedom in Maryland has passed.

Reproductive rights advocates say that the amendment will protect abortion access in the state and that it prevents lawmakers from “directly or indirectly” denying or abridging the right to an abortion “unless justified by a compelling state interest.”  

The ballot initiative caused some confusion ahead of the 2024 general election because abortion is already legal in the state.

After the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade, Maryland — along with nine other states and Washington, D.C. — kept abortion legal at any time during a pregnancy.

The amendment’s passage means it is much harder for lawmakers to introduce legislation seeking to restrict abortion access in the future.