ACSBlog: The Blog of the American Constitution Society

Attacks on marriage equality proved successful on Election Day, but not ones aimed at severely restricting reproductive rights. Ballot initiatives in South Dakota and Colorado targeting reproductive rights were both defeated by big margins, the Los Angeles Times reported. The ballot measure in South Dakota was similar to one voters rejected in 2006 and according to its supporters was intended to provoke a federal court battle to reverse or further weaken Roe v. Wade. The ballot initiative would have banned abortions providing very limited exceptions in cases of rape and incest. In Colorado, voters rejected Measure 48 also intended to seriously impinge on reproductive rights.