Knudsen rewrites abortion initiative ballot statement

The group behind a proposed constitutional amendment to enshrine abortion access in the Montana Constitution filed an emergency petition with the state Supreme Court on Tuesday morning asking it to overturn the attorney general’s newly rewritten ballot statement for the proposal.

Republican Attorney General Austin Knudsen — ordered by the Supreme Court last week to prepare the ballot statement for Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights’ proposal, Ballot Issue #14 — on Monday sent Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen a new ballot statement that entirely rewrites the group’s original statement in a fashion they contend is “confusing, argumentative, and prejudicial.”

“The A.G. has unabashedly abandoned his role as a neutral gatekeeper in the citizen-initiative process. The statement is confusing and prejudicial, and will prevent voters from casting an educated ballot on CI-14. MSRR’s ballot statement is clear and neutral. The court should strike the A.G.’s statement and certify MSRR’s ballot statement directly to the Secretary, effective immediately upon issuance of the Court’s decision,” the group’s attorney, Raph Graybill, wrote in the petition to the Supreme Court.