WASHINGTON — National Right to Life (NRLC) celebrated the defeat of Proposition 1 in Idaho, praising voters for rejecting the extreme abortion initiative that threatened the state’s protections for unborn children, their mothers, and parental rights.

“Idaho voters have rejected an extreme initiative funded by coastal elites and delivered a victory for unborn children, their mothers, and parental rights,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “They saw through the false ads and false promises of Proposition 1 and confirmed to the nation that Idaho is a pro-life state. Special thanks go to our affiliate, Right to Life of Idaho, and the countless grassroots volunteers who worked to secure this historic victory.”

Proposition 1 would have established a broad statutory right to abortion and opened the door to the removal of nearly all limits on abortion, including parental consent requirements for minors and other widely accepted restrictions.

“Idaho voters saw through a campaign designed to pit women against their unborn babies and recognized that our current laws protect both,” said Emily Naugle, president of Right to Life of Idaho. “Pro-Life advocates came together and fought as though lives depended on it, because they do. They worked tirelessly to expose the truth about Proposition 1. We are relishing this victory and are proud to stand among the many voices who spoke up for the most vulnerable in our society this election.” 

The defeat of Proposition 1 comes as the abortion industry and its financial backers continue to pursue ballot initiatives following the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, which returned the issue of abortion to the people through their elected representatives.

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide, and euthanasia.

WASHINGTON — The defeat of Missouri’s Amendment 3 allows cruel abortion practices to continue in the state and represents a deeply disappointing setback for efforts to protect unborn children and their mothers. Notable is the coastal money that flooded the state to mislead voters.

“With the backing of millions of dollars from coastal elites, the Missouri Constitution will continue to open the door to abortion throughout pregnancy,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “Tonight’s results are a setback, but it’s not the final word. An election cannot diminish the humanity of an unborn child or end our responsibility to speak for those whose lives are at risk.”

Amendment 3 would have repealed the broad abortion provisions adopted in 2024 and replaced them with language allowing stronger protections for unborn children, parental consent requirements, and regulation of abortion providers and facilities. Public reports note that the abortion industry and its allies poured over $28 million into the state. The YES campaign was outspent by more than 3-to-1.

National Right to Life commended its state affiliate, Missouri Right to Life, and the grassroots advocates who worked to secure the measure’s passage. 

“Missouri Right to Life and its volunteers worked tirelessly to explain the stakes of this vote,” said Tobias. “We will stand alongside them as we continue educating the public, defending protections for life, and advocating for practical support for mothers and families.”

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide, and euthanasia.

Broad health exception opens the door to abortion throughout pregnancy

 WASHINGTON — Passage of Virginia’s Question 1 will enshrine expansive abortion rights in the Commonwealth’s Constitution, including a broad health exception that undermines meaningful protections for unborn children in the final months of pregnancy.

“Tonight’s vote gives abortion sweeping constitutional protection at the expense of unborn children and their mothers,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “The amendment’s reference to third-trimester restrictions conceals a fundamental problem: its broad health exception leaves unborn children vulnerable even late in pregnancy.” 

National Right to Life and its Virginia affiliate, the Virginia Society for Human Life (VSHL), actively campaigned against the amendment, warning voters about its expansive language and the consequences of placing abortion rights in the state Constitution.

“The deliberate manipulation of the ballot language successfully confused many voters who were unaware of the far-reaching effects of the actual amendment language,” said Olivia Gans Turner, president of Virginia Society for Human Life. “The winners of this vote will be abortion businesses who will be able to operate unregulated and without any serious accountability in the Commonwealth. The losers of tonight’s vote are the women and unborn children who will now be without any legal protections going forward.”

The amendment would allow abortions during the third trimester of pregnancy “when a patient’s health is at risk.” A health exception is not limited to medical emergencies or conditions threatening a woman’s life. The breadth of health exceptions has long been central to the abortion debate. In its 1973 decision in Doe v. Bolton, the U.S. Supreme Court described medical judgment concerning abortion as encompassing “physical, emotional, psychological, familial, and age-related factors relevant to a patient’s well-being.”

“A reference to third-trimester regulation is no meaningful assurance when the exception is broad enough to swallow the rule,” said Tobias. “This amendment opens the door to abortion throughout pregnancy and sharply restricts the ability of elected lawmakers to protect unborn children and their mothers.”

National Right to Life and VSHL also warned that the amendment could provide grounds for challenges to Virginia’s parental consent law and conscience protections for medical professionals.

“Parents should be able to protect and guide their minor daughters, and medical professionals should be able to practice without being compelled to participate in abortions,” Tobias said. “We will continue defending these protections against efforts to dismantle them.” 

National Right to Life thanked VSHL and the volunteers and advocates who worked to inform voters and defeat the amendment.

“The Virginia Society for Human Life and pro-life Virginians worked tirelessly to explain what this amendment would mean for their Commonwealth,” said Tobias. “Their work has lasting value, and we will stand alongside them in the challenges ahead.” 

“This result is deeply disappointing, but our responsibility to unborn children and their mothers remains,” Tobias added. “We will continue educating, defending every protection we can, and supporting compassionate alternatives to abortion. An election result does not diminish the value of a human life.”

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide, and euthanasia.