Oregon voters are projected to reject a measure on Tuesday’s ballot to prohibit public funding from being spent to cover abortions.
The measure would largely apply to Oregon’s Medicaid program, as well as to public employees like teachers, firefighters, and police, the Associated Press reported. With 67 percent of precincts reporting, 64 percent voted against the ballot measure and 35 percent for, according to the AP.
Oregon is one of 17 states that use their own tax dollars to fund abortions, according to the abortion rights research firm Guttmacher Institute. Another 32 states prohibit the use of state funds, except in the case where federal funds are available, such as where the woman’s life is in danger or the pregnancy was due to rape or incest.
The federal government already bans federal funding from going towards covering abortions but has the same exceptions as states.
South Dakota, however, only includes an exception for life endangerment, Guttmacher said.
