As Roe Hangs in Balance, Massachusetts Passes State Bill Decriminalizing Abortion

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 18, 2018
NARAL Pro-Choice MA Contact: Rebecca Hart Holder
E: [email protected]
C: 718.415.1513
NIRH Contact: Stephanie Reichin
E: [email protected]
C: 617.549.3745

S.2260 Removes Outdated Massachusetts Statutes that Criminalized Abortion, Restricted Access to Contraception, Mandated Medically Unnecessary Burdens to Abortion Access

State-Led Action to Preserve Abortion Access is More Important Than Ever Following Trump’s Nomination of Kavanaugh to Supreme Court

Boston, MA – In the face of new threats to Roe v. Wade at the federal level, Massachusetts took a stand today by passing proactive legislation to decriminalize abortion and protect access to reproductive health care. The bill, S.2260, overturns archaic pre-Roe Massachusetts statutes that date back to the 1800s, and guarantees access to abortion without fear of punishment for women or health care providers.

“The vote to pass S.2260 was a decade in the making, and its passage proves that Massachusetts is ready to lead the way in ensuring access to abortion and contraceptive care, especially given the threat to our basic rights on the federal level” said Rebecca Hart Holder, President of NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts. “We are grateful to the Massachusetts House and Senate for acting swiftly to protect reproductive health care in Massachusetts. We call on Governor Charlie Baker to sign the bill into law. Repealing antiquated laws is the first, critical step to ensuring that even if Roe v. Wade were overturned tomorrow, the reproductive freedom of the people of Massachusetts would be unequivocally protected. With this win, Massachusetts now has the momentum necessary to push even further, having laid the groundwork to take the next steps to enshrine protections for abortion access in state law and become a safe haven state for reproductive health care.”

“The best defense against a hostile president, Congress, and Supreme Court is a strong state-level offense, and NIRH was proud to partner with NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts to pass this legislation to decriminalize abortion in the state,” said Andrea Miller, President of the National Institute for Reproductive Health. “Repealing this antiquated law that criminalized abortion care in Massachusetts – and opened the door for prosecutors to take legal action against health care providers and women who end their own pregnancies – exemplifies what states can and must do to safeguard access to abortion care. Massachusetts has paved the way for neighboring states like New York to finally update their outdated laws criminalizing abortion care. All states, and especially “blue states” where change should already be possible, need to act immediately to ensure abortion remains accessible, no matter what happens in the Supreme Court.”

S. 2260, initially filed by Senate President Harriette Chandler, and championed in the House by Speaker Pro Tempore Patricia Haddad and Majority Whip Byron Rushing, easily cleared both the Massachusetts Senate and House, and now goes to Gov. Charlie Baker to be signed. It will remove all of the outdated and unconstitutional laws listed below, all of which are unconstitutional under state and federal court decisions, and none of which have any standing relevance to modern-day life, including:

• A law that makes it illegal to “procur[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][e] a miscarriage;” and carries stiff penalties
• A ban on unmarried people accessing abortion and contraception;
• A ban on distributing information on how to procure contraception or abortion care;
• A law which punishes doctors, pharmacists, and all healthcare providers for distributing contraception or providing abortion care;
• A ban on adultery;
• A ban on fornication.

A number of other states across the country have considered legislation to decriminalize abortion care and otherwise update their state laws to safeguard access if and when the Supreme Court further guts or even overturns Roe v. Wade. NIRH has been shepherding New York’s Reproductive Health Act (RHA), which would remove outdated criminal abortion bans that threaten both women and health care providers and enshrine new protections into New York’s law, with a renewed push in the wake of the nomination of Judge Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court. Rhode Island is currently considering a similar bill to decriminalize abortion in that state; last year Delaware passed a law repealing its pre-Roe abortion law; and Illinois rescinded its law that would have outlawed abortion if Roe is overturned.

“This is just the beginning,” Miller concluded. “NIRH looks forward to continuing to work with our partners like NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts and those in other states to advance more policies that safeguard reproductive freedom, ensuring that states are doing all they can in this new environment to protect and advance reproductive health, rights, and justice.”

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NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts is the leading grassroots pro-choice advocacy organization in the Commonwealth, and we believe that every woman should be able to make personal decisions about the full range of reproductive health options. NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts works to protect every woman’s right to access the full range of reproductive health options, including preventing unintended pregnancy, bearing healthy children, and choosing legal abortion. NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts is the state affiliate of NARAL Pro-Choice America.

The National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH) builds power at the state and local levels to change public policy, galvanize public support, and normalize women’s decisions about abortion and contraception. Using a partnership model, NIRH provides state and local advocates with strategic guidance, hands-on support, and funding to create national change from the ground up. In 2018, NIRH is working with state and local advocates to advance reproductive freedom in 23 states; to date, NIRH has partnered with more than 150 reproductive health, rights, and justice organizations in 39 states and 56 localities across the country. 

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