Lawmakers are moving quickly to place the amendment on the November ballot.
California’s proposal goes a step beyond with the language on contraceptives. Some believe that if the high court overturns federal abortion protections, conservative groups will push for a ban on contraceptives.
California’s Supreme Court ruled in 1969 that the state constitution protects abortion, but the new proposal from Democrats would actually add an amendment to specifically list the procedure as a right. Jonathan Keller, president of the California Family Council that opposes abortion, said the proposed amendment would be “redundant” because of the California court’s previous rulings.
The U.S. Supreme Court is considering a case from Mississippi over that state’s ban on most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. California’s Democratic leaders and abortion rights activists were alarmed last month by the leak of a draft court opinion that declared abortion has no “sound basis in precedent.” That opinion could change when the court issues a final ruling later this month.