Attorney general blocks constitutional abortion proposal

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has blocked a ballot proposal seeking to create a constitutional right to abortion, labeling the initiative “legally insufficient” after a required review by his office.

In a memorandum dated Jan. 16, Knudsen said the proposed ballot initiative spearheaded by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Montana, Ballot Measure #14, improperly “logrolls multiple distinct political choices into a single initiative” and limits the state’s ability to protect public health and safety.

“Ballot Measure 14 creates an express right to abortion but denies voters the ability to express their views on the nuance of the right. This is classic logrolling and is prohibited by Article XIV, Section 11” of the Montana Constitution, Knudsen wrote.