Virginia Voters Enshrine Abortion Rights in State Constitution

Voters in Virginia have approved a constitutional amendment protecting abortion access, according to CNN projections, making it the eighth US state to adopt such a measure. The amendment enshrines reproductive freedom in the state constitution. The amendment prohibits the state legislature from passing laws that restrict individual choices on abortion, contraception, prenatal and postnatal care, fertility treatments, childbirth, and miscarriage care. It allows restrictions on abortions during the third trimester but mandates exceptions when the pregnant person's health is at risk or the fetus is not viable. This development follows the US Supreme Court's 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade, which ended federal constitutional protection for abortion and returned regulatory power to individual states. Similar constitutional amendments are also on the ballot this year in Nevada and Idaho.