Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey signs new abortion bill into law
BOSTON —
Gov. Maura Healey on Monday signed into law a measure that loosens limits on abortions in Massachusetts.
Previously, state law permitted abortions up to 24 weeks, with exceptions for cases involving a deadly fetal diagnosis or to protect the life of the mother. The new law eliminates these exceptions, putting the decision in the hands of the patient and health care providers.
“Today, mothers and fathers and families who experience these devastating diagnoses — and they are devastating, heartbreaking — now they’ll be able to make their own choices,” Healey said.
The governor, who has been outspoken about abortion rights in the past, framed the issue in a national context. She said that reproductive health care “has been under fire” nationally and suggested it was the responsibility of states to implement local policies.
“I promise that no matter what Donald Trump or Republicans in Congress or the Supreme Court does, we’re going to continue to make sure that women and families have access to the health care that they need right here in Massachusetts,” Healey said at the signing ceremony.
The measure passed the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate last month.
“We’ve decided to get away from all the exceptions and trust our medical professionals, who are the best in the world, to make those decisions with the informed consent of the patient,” Rep. Michael Day said when the measure passed the House.
“With this vote, the Senate makes clear that these deeply personal decisions belong to patients and the physicians who know them best,” Sen. Joan Lovely said when it passed the Senate.
Previously, patients had to leave the state
Kate Dineen, who was 33 weeks pregnant when she received devastating news, shared her personal experience.
“I discovered that my son had suffered a catastrophic stroke in utero, and there was a chance he would die in utero or survive for some period of time. No chance of a normal healthy outcome,” Dineen said.
Dineen explained that she had to travel to Maryland for an abortion because her son’s diagnosis did not meet the criteria for the lethal fetal abnormality exception under Massachusetts law at the time.
“Despite my son’s catastrophic diagnosis, it didn’t qualify for the lethal fetal abnormality exception in place at the time,” she said.
“Thanks to this new law, pregnant patients in Massachusetts will no longer have to travel far from their home state to access the care they need. At a time when reproductive freedom is under relentless attack across the nation, this new law ensures that our commonwealth remains at the forefront of the movement to protect and expand civil liberties in the United States.
Opposition to the new law
House Republicans strongly opposed the bill, arguing that abortion laws in Massachusetts are already too permissive.
“It’s a very sad day in the commonwealth of Massachusetts. The precedent that we’re setting is that a mother can get an abortion up until the moment of birth for a healthy, viable baby,” said Rep. Alyson Sullivan-Almeida.
“This is a significant change to the law to expand what is already an extremely progressive abortion policy in Massachusetts,” said Rep. Joseph McKenna.