ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Abortion is a priority for the legislature this session.
Since early February, a large group of pro-choice lawmakers have been working to add reproductive rights in to the state constitution.
"Reproductive care must be a right enshrined in our constitution so it can never be up for debate or used as a bargaining chip," said Speaker of the House Adrienne A. Jones.
Now, the legislature is hearing two bills on abortion access.
One requires a physician perform an abortion after a sonogram is done among other things.
The other makes women wait to have an abortion until after having an ultrasound.
The wait would be 24 hours for most women and two hours if they live more than 100 miles from the clinic.
"Because I think it allows transparency. We're hearing a lot from different groups and organizations that there's buyers remorse. If a woman gets an abortion, you can't undo that," said Delegate Susan McComas, a Republican from Harford County.
Delegate McComas is a sponsor of both of these bills.
She says they're not an attempt to limit abortions in Maryland.
"No, no, it's a matter of information, to let people know what they're doing and know it's a matter of their own free will," said McComas.
There has been concern that if reproductive rights are put into the state constitution that these types of laws would be tougher to pass.
McComas shares the same viewpoint which senate republicans have mentioned in their opposition of other abortion bills.
"Well they could certainly claim that of course and coercion of any kind should be not allowed," said the Delegate.
With Crossover day coming on Monday, the delegate's bill would have to move quickly to get passed, if it were to get out of committee.
