Opponents of Maine's new abortion law won't seek to nullify it through a referendum

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Groups opposed to Maine's new law expanding abortion access won't attempt to nullify the statute through a so-called People's Veto referendum.

Republican Rep. Laurel Libby, leader of the Speak Up for LIFE group, said Wednesday that allies decided that the costs of collecting signatures and running a campaign represented too big of a hurdle. Instead, the groups intend to focus on electing candidates who are opposed to abortions.

“At the end of the day, we want to put our effort into the most effect place possible,” Libby, a Republican from Auburn, told The Associated Press. That means flipping legislative seats, she said, particularly in the Maine House.

The bill signed into law by Democratic Gov. Janet Mills last month allows abortions at any time if deemed medically necessary by a doctor, making the law one of the nation’s least restrictive. The previous law, the Reproductive Privacy Act of 1993, banned abortions after a fetus became viable outside the womb, at roughly 24 weeks, with an exception if the patient’s life is at risk.