Paris working on bill to enshrine abortion rights

Lawmakers in France’s lower house of Parliament yesterday adopted a bill to enshrine abortion rights in the country’s constitution, the first step in a lengthy and uncertain legislative battle prompted by the rollback of abortion rights in the United States. The measure was approved with 337 lawmakers voting for and 32 against in the 557-member National Assembly. To be added into the constitution, any measure must be first approved by majorities in the National Assembly and the upper house, the Senate, and then in a nationwide referendum. Authors of the proposal, from a left-wing coalition, argued the measure was aimed at ‘‘protecting and guaranteeing the fundamental right to voluntary termination of pregnancy.’’