'You Decide' bill would let residents vote on abortion issue during next general election
“Shall the Reproductive Health Protection Act of 2023, as recited herein and below, be enacted into Guam law? Yes or No?”
That’s the question Sens. Tom Fisher and Tina Muna Barnes are proposing to be on the next general election ballot.
Fisher and Barnes introduced a bill Friday to allow the people to vote for or against reproductive rights in a referendum. In a press release, Fisher says the measure, called the “You Decide” bill, takes no stance on the controversial issue.
“I am not advocating for nor condemning abortion rights on Guam," Fisher stated in a release. "SCOTUS overturned Roe v. Wade and opined that states and territories across the country should decide. Well, with Roe and Dobbs, that’s at least half a century of men telling you women what to do. That’s why I am introducing this bill -I believe the people should make the decision for Guam, once and for all. Whatever results from the people’s vote, we must live with.”
Bill 106-37 stipulates that should a simple majority vote yes, the Reproductive Health Protection Act of 2023 will take effect immediately after Guam voters’ approval.