Right to abortion unlikely to be enshrined in Maine Constitution after vote falls short

By DAVID SHARP
Associated Press

An effort to amend the Maine Constitution to enshrine the right to an abortion is coming up short. The measure fell shy of a two-thirds majority in the Maine House on Tuesday night, failing to clear the hurdle for sending the amendment to voters for ratification. Both chambers have to approve the resolution, so it’s effectively dead even though the Senate set the measure aside for review of costs on Wednesday. The final Maine House vote came hours after a court ruling set the stage for a near-total ban on abortions in Arizona.