Montanans’ voices are being heard on the issue of reproductive rights.
Recent events in Bozeman and Missoula — highlighted by the appearance of “Freeda Womb,” a 20-foot-tall inflatable IUD — focused on the need to protect our ability to make personal, private decisions about our families and our health. The events attracted enthusiastic supporters and media coverage from across the state.
Now, we are celebrating the fact that Montanans will actually get the chance to vote on Constitutional Initiative 128, a measure that will protect Montanans’ right to abortion.
Backers of CI-128 secured twice the number of voter signatures needed to place the measure on the ballot but, even so, Montana’s secretary of state and attorney general attempted to keep it off. A court recently ruled that Montanans should, indeed, have the right to get the chance to decide.
As encouraging as this is, we know this isn’t the end of politicians trying to decide for people what they can and can’t do with their bodies. These are freedoms we’ll need to continue fighting to protect. There is a growing push, both nationally and within our state, to limit our freedom to plan our own futures and access essential healthcare and family planning tools.
There is no decision more personal than whether and when to have children. Is now the right time? Am I financially prepared? Am I healthy enough for a pregnancy? Can I handle a child if I’m already caring for children, my parents, or siblings? These are decisions that should stay between us, our families, and our doctors — not the government.
Contraception gives us freedom over our futures. If you want confirmation, just ask any of the 75% of Montana women who have used a form of contraception.
But our freedom to make these decisions is at risk. Montanans’ health and autonomy are being attacked from every angle, from Helena, to Washington, D.C.
Here at home, Montanans agree that access to reproductive healthcare is essential. According to an August 2024 Middle Fork Strategies poll, 83% of Montanans agree that IVF should remain legal and 56% believe that abortion should remain legal.
In Congress, the Right to Contraception Act was introduced to establish a federal right to contraception. This bill was incredibly popular and supported by more than 80% of all Americans, including 94% of Democrats, 76% of independents, and 68% of Republicans.
However, Senate Republicans – including Sen. Steve Daines – ignored this bipartisan support and blocked the bill.
Thankfully, Sen. Jon Tester stood up for our rights by co-sponsoring the bill and voting for it. He understands that this isn’t just a healthcare issue, it’s an issue of freedom.
Republicans’ efforts to block the Right to Contraception Act are part of a broader national trend. When the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade, Justice Clarence Thomas also called for the Court to “reconsider” Griswold v. Connecticut – the landmark decision that recognized the right to contraception nearly 60 years ago. Project 2025 would restrict access to emergency contraception for 48 million women across America – including 151,000 women in Montana.
Opponents of reproductive freedom didn’t stop at abortion and they won’t stop at contraception. Senate Republicans even blocked nationwide protections for IVF, threatening many people’s ability to start a family.
This fight isn’t about policy. It’s about control. Extremists think they know better than us. The only question we need to ask ourselves is this: Will we let them?
Brooke Cadwell, CNM, APRN, PMHNP, is certified midwife and a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner in Bozeman.
This article from the Daily Montanan appears in this post, with permission, under a Creative Commons BY ND-NC 4.0 license.
