I applaud Maine Sen. Eloise Vitelli for having the foresight and courage to propose L.D. 780, An Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Protect Personal Reproductive Autonomy.

Sen. Vitelli sponsored the measure because she believes reproductive health care deserves protection like other constitutionally protected rights.

In Sen. Vitelli’s testimony in favor of the bill, she argued that our constitution recognizes the human rights to free speech and religious freedom, guaranteeing us the freedom to live a life of our choosing, and that the ability to determine our reproductive health care is fundamental to this freedom.

For 50 years, she said, access to birth control and safe, legal abortions allowed women to participate fully in our communities and the economy by making personal reproductive health care decisions. However, when the Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade and left reproductive health care up to the states, many passed restrictive laws endangering women. With federal protections gone, state-level protections are vital.

As Vitelli noted, the Maine Legislature considers restrictive reproductive health care bills every year, and so far, the legislature has fended off these political attacks.

To take politics out of abortion and abortion out of politics, Vitelli said, a Maine constitutional amendment that explicitly makes reproductive health care a fundamental right will guarantee that right, regardless of political winds.

Sen. Vitelli is correct. Yet Republican opposition makes it unlikely that the bill will get the two-thirds needed in the House and Senate to create a referendum. Many people, both for and against, urged the Legislature to vote to let the Maine people decide.

There were 335 public hearing testimonies listed on mainelegislature.org. I read and reread all 335 testimonies to understand the opposition and support. Without exception, the 99 people opposing this legislation cite a religious belief. Conversely, all 236 testimonies of support recount the real-life harm women suffered because they could not get an abortion, how getting an abortion allowed women to lead productive lives, or reaffirmed the bedrock of our society: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

All opposition cited a religious belief. Some were explicit, citing God or quoting the Bible. Others were implicit, such as blaming the Devil or claiming life begins at conception. The gestational process of developing an individual human starts with a fertilized egg; how could it be otherwise? However, when using the term “life begins at conception” to oppose a woman making her own reproductive decisions, that phrase means a fertilized egg is a person, and, therefore, abortion is murder. This belief is a peculiar ultra-conservative interpretation of the Bible, one most Christians do not support.

I, and the organization I represent, the Maine Chapter of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, support everyone’s right to hold whatever religious beliefs they want. Religious beliefs are a positive force that serves as a guide for how to live one’s life. Religious beliefs help people make personal decisions consistent with one’s values. We applaud those who follow their religious beliefs when making individual decisions.

However, following religious beliefs to help one make personal decisions is not a license to require everyone to make the same choices. All testimony opposing this bill crosses the line between using religious beliefs to make personal decisions and forcing others to make the same decisions. All testimonies opposing L.D. 780 have the same goal: to codify their personally held religious beliefs into laws that everyone, regardless of the individual’s religious beliefs, must follow.

If everyone must follow a narrow interpretation of one religion’s beliefs, where is the individual’s freedom of religion?

Testimonies supporting this amendment include the lived experiences of professionals who worked with women for decades. They recount the harm women experienced who could not get an abortion or how getting an abortion allowed women to lead productive lives. The list includes organizations such as the Maine Public Health Association, Maine Section of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Maine Equal Justice, First Parish Church UCC, Maine Council of Churches, Maine Nurse Practitioner Association, Maine Medical Association, Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Maine Women’s Lobby, Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault, National Association of Social Workers, Safe Abortions for Everyone, Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence, and the Maine Association of Physician Assistants (MEAPA).

If your member of the Legislature votes against letting the people of Maine decide through a referendum, they are saying they don’t want to hear the voice of their constituents.

If your Maine House or Senate member doesn’t want to listen to what you have to say, you can elect someone in November who does.

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