Montana could lose healthcare professionals to other states if a ballot measure passes to require them to provide medical care for infants born at any stage of development — or potentially face criminal charges — medical leaders said.

Healthcare workers from across the state gathered at the Capitol rotunda in Helena, on October 27, to voice their opposition to a legislative referendum on the ballot this November.

Montana health officials are proposing to oversee and set standards for the charitable contributions that nonprofit hospitals make in their communities each year to justify their access to millions of dollars in tax exemptions.