Maryland AG Brown pledges to protect abortion rights after constitutional amendment passes

BALTIMORE -- Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said he would remain steadfast in protecting reproductive rights after Maryland voted to codify abortion in the state constitution. 

"Building on the authority granted by the General Assembly in 2017 to hold the federal government accountable, Attorney General Brown is prepared to act against any federal actions that threaten Marylanders' rights. Maryland residents can trust that their reproductive freedoms, recently enshrined in the State Constitution, are secure, along with protection for individuals who may face discrimination based on their immigration status, gender identity, or sexual orientation," the statement from the AG's office said.

Abortion rights were a major concern in the 2024 presidential election, with 10 states voting on abortion access through ballot measures. 

In the past, Trump has taken credit for the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade in June 2022, boasting that three of the justices that he appointed to the high court voted to unwind the constitutional right to abortion, CBS News reported.

Trump has previously said that he would not support a federal abortion ban.

More recently, he snapped at a reporter when asked how he voted on Florida's ballot measure that would have overridden a six-week abortion ban and enshrined abortion rights. 

Brown said the Attorney General's Office will seek support from the Governor and the General Assembly to establish a litigation team that will respond to any federal actions or policies that could harm Maryland residents.

Planned Parenthood, Maryland, commented after the approval of Question F, saying, "With the election confirming four years of an anti-reproductive health administration, we're here to remind patients that abortion is still legal in Maryland. Not only legal, but now protected thanks to the passage of the Reproductive Freedom Amendment."