The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts views the Supreme Court opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturning Roe v. Wade as an attack on a fundamental right to health care and to the right of pregnant people to make their own decisions about what is best for them. The League expresses its gratitude to Governor Baker for issuing an executive order protecting patients, providers, and anyone providing assistance from criminal prosecution, as well as the state legislature for passing legislation that codified the right to an abortion in Massachusetts. We salute our partners in the ROE Act Coalition for anticipating the need for this legislation and now the Beyond ROE Coalition for carrying the work forward. Review the coalition’s priorities here.
We urge the legislature to continue protecting the right to make one’s own health care decisions by passing without delay three additional bills:
H.1196/S.673 An Act ensuring access to full spectrum pregnancy care. This bill would provide financial assistance for a full-range of pregnancy-related care. See our testimony.
H.2399/S.1470 An Act to require public universities to provide medication abortion. See our testimony.
H.673/S.318 An Act relative to healthy youth. This bill allows age appropriate, medically accurate sex education in schools. See our testimony.
The national League of Women Voters continues to advocate for reproductive rights on the federal level. “The League of Women Voters stands in our power with our reproductive partners and all persons who fear the dangerous consequences of this decision. We will use our anger to fight in the legislatures, in the courts, and in the streets. We call on our elected leaders at the state and federal levels to act swiftly to restore bodily autonomy to all people. Women hold the power to create a more perfect democracy. We will not stand by as constitutional rights are stripped away, one by one. Women’s rights are human rights, and we will continue to fight until the right to abortion is restored. Our lives depend on it.” Read the complete statement here.
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