By Fatma Younis
Idaho voters have rejected a ballot measure that would have established a constitutional right to abortion up to fetal viability, NBC News projects. The decision preserves the state’s near-total abortion ban that took effect in 2022 after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Measure Details
Proposition 1, known as the Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act Initiative, would have allowed government regulation of abortion only after fetal viability — generally around 23 to 24 weeks of pregnancy — except in medical emergencies to save the woman’s life. The initiative defined fetal viability as a "significant likelihood of sustained survival outside of the uterus without extraordinary medical measures." It also would have guaranteed rights to contraception, fertility treatment, miscarriage care, and prenatal and postpartum care.
Abortion Ban Remains
Idaho’s existing law prohibits nearly all abortions, with limited exceptions. The ban has been in place since 2022 following the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision. With the measure’s defeat, the current restrictions stay in effect.
Healthcare Workforce Impact
According to a study published in a medical journal, nearly a third of Idaho’s OB-GYNs moved away, stopped practicing, or retired between August 2022 and December 2024. The Center for Reproductive Rights reports that 11 states have expanded abortion access since the Dobbs ruling, but Idaho is not among them.
