The Promise of Reproductive Freedom Amendments

After the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization eliminated the federal constitutional right to abortion, voters in ten states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New York, Ohio, and Vermont) ratified state constitutional amendments codifying the right to abortion and reproductive rights more broadly. 

This report from the Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy at UCLA School of Law offers a comparative analysis of these amendments. It examines their guarantees, scope, and standards of judicial review, and details how they interact with more than 50 existing abortion restrictions across these states. The report also reviews early court decisions applying the amendments to strike down gestational bans, waiting periods, and other restrictions, underscoring their potential to reshape reproductive rights jurisprudence in the years ahead. Access the full report here.