Hogan Refuses to State Position on Constitutional Amendment Protecting Women’s Right to Choose

Annapolis, MD—Today, after House Speaker Mike Busch announced plans for a constitutional amendment that will protect Marylanders’ right to a legal abortion, Governor Larry Hogan dismissed the effort, saying “I don’t know that [a constitutional amendment is] necessary.” 

Hogan refused to support the amendment, without which the right to choose in Maryland will be vulnerable to Republican actions to weaken abortion rights. 

Hogan has opposed the right to choose throughout his long career in politics – including when he actively worked to ban abortions in county-owned hospitals in Prince George’s County and supported measures banning abortion at the federal level – and recently told Marylanders that his “views haven’t changed over the last 20-30 years.”

“It should be a giant red flag for every Maryland woman that Larry Hogan refuses to support a constitutional amendment that will protect a woman’s right to control her reproductive health,” said Maryland Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Matthews. “Conservative Republicans in Washington are on the verge of getting another Trump-appointed Justice on the Supreme Court, increasing the likelihood of overturning Roe v. Wade. It’s more important than ever that Maryland has a governor who will be on our side when it comes to reproductive health. That’s why we need Ben Jealous and Susie Turnbull who support this constitutional amendment.”

1980

• Hogan said he wanted to ban abortions, including in cases where the mother’s life is at risk.  Hogan also worked with his father, who was then serving as Prince George’s County Executive, to draft an executive order that banned abortions at county hospitals.  When a Circuit Court judge overturned the order, Governor Hogan said he was “disappointed with the judge’s decision” and added that his father’s staff was already preparing legislation to ban abortions in Prince George’s County (Source: “Abortion Bill Defeated In Pr. George’s Council; Prince George’s Council Vetoes Abortion Bill.” Loretta Tofani, Washington Post, 9/2/81).
• A 1980 profile of Hogan, Sr referred to Governor Hogan and his father as the “First Family in Maryland when it comes to opposing abortion.”  The Post noted that Hogan’s uncle, a physician, had also lobbied the state to ban abortion (Source: “Turning a Moral Issue Into Political Squabble.” Richard Cohen, Washington Post, 12/9/80).

1981

• In 1981, Hogan said he supported the anti-abortion “Human Life Amendment” that was being debated by Congress at the time.  The Human Life Amendment is an amendment to the Constitution that reads: “The paramount right to life is vested in each human being from the moment of fertilization without regard to age, health or condition of dependency.” The current version of the Human Life Amendment at the time of Hogan’s statement was the Paramount Amendment, which would ban abortion.
• During Hogan’s failed bid for Congress, the Washington Post wrote that Hogan had campaigned for an “antiabortion amendment to the Constitution” (Source: “Prince George’s Voters Face 31 Political Flavors at Polls on Tuesday.” Margaret Shapiro, Washington Post, 4/5/81).

1992

• In 1992, Hogan said: “I support the rights of states to place certain reasonable restrictions on individuals seeking an abortion.”

2014

• Hogan said: “I’ve always personally been opposed to abortion” and “I’m personally opposed to abortion, always have been.”