Residents across Montana are gearing up for the general election on November 8, 2022. Several ballot issues are qualified this year and other submitted ballot issues for this election.
One of the qualified issues on the ballot is HB167, an act that the Montana Legislature referred: The Born Alive Infant Protection Act. This act provides infants who are born alive, including born alive infants from abortion, to be treated as a legal person. The act requires health care providers to take appropriate actions to preserve the life of the born alive infants to the best of their ability.
The Born Alive Infant Protection Act imposes criminal penalties on health care providers who fail to take the necessary medical actions to preserve an infant’s life under this act. Punishments for not taking medical action include a fine of up to 50,000 dollars, up to 20 years in prison, or both in certain cases.
SB 203 is another ballot issue for the 2022 election, an act to make slight adjustments to article II, section 11 of the Montana constitution. The amendments of the constitution include electric data and communications from unreasonable search and seizure. The act requires a roll call vote from two-thirds of the legislature and submitted to qualified electors of Montana.
Four issues were qualified to gather signatures for the election ballot. One issue is amending article X, section 1(3) of the state constitution, which would allow prekindergarten to be included in the basic system of free quality education in the state constitution. The petition for this ballot issue was approved for signature gatherings on June 3, 2022.
Click here to see a complete list of what will be on the ballot this year and what issues did not qualify for the upcoming election.