The pro-life measure would not prevent Montanans from obtaining abortions, but would require “medical care for infants born alive” as a result of natural or induced labor, failed abortion or C-section. The measure failed by about 20,000 votes, with 52.6% voting against and 47.4% voting in favor at the time The Associated Press called the race. “A health care provider performing an abortion must take all medically appropriate and reasonable steps to preserve the life and health of a live-born infant who is viable. If an abortion performed in a hospital results in the birth of a viable infant, The health care provider provides immediate medical attention to the infant,” the ballot reads. MONTANA ELECTION RESULTS: DEMO RYAN ZINKE WINS RACE FOR NEWLY DRAW 1ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT A pro-life activist holds a newspaper outside the Supreme Court. (Joshua Comins/Fox News) The pro-life legislation recognized an infant born alive after an attempted abortion as a legal person and would have granted him rights to medical care after birth. “If an abortion results in the live birth of an infant, the infant is a legal person for all purposes under the laws of this state,” it said. MONTANA REPUBLICAN MATT ROSENDALE WINS RE-ELECTION IN US SPEAKER RACE A pro-life crowd cheers the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision last summer. (Joshua Comins/Fox News, File) The law also sought to punish doctors if they failed to treat infants as living persons and take the required, necessary actions to “preserve the life of a born alive infant.” The bill recognized elements of life as an infant that breathes, has a beating heart, and definite voluntary muscle movement. “Without proper legal protections, newborn infants who have survived abortions have not received appropriate life-saving medical care and treatment and have been left to die,” the bill states. Protesters gather for abortion rights on Capitol Hill. (Jerry Holt/Star Tribune) “As with other ballot initiatives across the country, pro-abortion forces are outspending pro-life forces to drive dishonest messages to confuse voters,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA Pro-Life America, in Fox News Digital. “In Montana, pro-abortion forces ran TV ads calling the initiative ‘an extreme, harmful government intervention in medical care,’ when all the initiative would do is provide the same level of care to an infant who survived an abortion with you. would do to an infant born early in pregnancy. If Montana voters knew the truth about what the initiative would actually do, it would have passed overwhelmingly. Our side needs to do a better job marshaling the resources needed to reach out to the finger-funded abortion industry to arm voters with the truth,” Dannenfelser said. On Tuesday, California and Vermont enshrined the right to abortion in their state constitutions. (Damian Dovarganes) Planned Parenthood did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP After Roe v. Wade was overturned in June, abortion measures were on the ballot and passed in five states this cycle – California, Michigan, Montana, Vermont and Kentucky. Aubrie Spady is a freelance production assistant for Fox News Digital.
