User:JamesMLane/Abortion in Maryland history

Under the leadership of Karyn Strickler from 1986 to 1992, the Maryland affiliate of the National Abortion Rights Action League (MD NARAL) made history, passing legislation in 1992 to become the fourth state in the country to put the principles of Roe v. Wade onto their state law books and repealing old, restrictive, abortion laws. MD NARAL effectively used grassroots organizing to oust anti-abortion incumbents in the Maryland General Assembly, winning 100% of their targeted races and creating a pro-choice super-majority in the MD State Senate, to pass the legislation that codified Roe and ultimately to win a statewide, pro-choice referendum. They won the referendum with 62% of the vote, winning 44 out of 47 legislative districts.

In 1986, when Karyn Strickler became Executive Director, the organization was run by a volunteer board of directors, had $15,000.00 in the bank, 700 members and little political clout. At the end of 1992, the organization had 12,000 individual members, 1,500 volunteers, 16 employees and a half million-dollar budget (plus $2,000,000 referendum campaign budget), making it one of the largest, most powerful political organizations in the state of Maryland.