NIRH Applauds Vermont’s Leaders for Protecting Abortion Access with Newly Enacted Legislation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 11, 2019
Contact: Marisa Rodriguez, [email protected]

Vermont becomes latest state to enshrine Roe v. Wade into state law in face of federal attacks

VERMONT – With Roe v. Wade in jeopardy and significant attacks on reproductive freedom in a number of states, the Vermont legislature took a stand for abortion access and enacted H.57 into law, a bill that officially recognizes a woman’s fundamental right to an abortion and prohibits government from placing any restrictions on it.  The National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH) applauds Vermont’s leaders who passed the bill in the House of Representatives with a vote of 106-37 and in the State Senate with 24-6, and Governor Phil Scott, who signed the bill into law on Monday, June 10, 2019.

The following is a statement from Andrea Miller, President of NIRH:

“Vermont has taken a stand against the destructive attacks on reproductive freedom nationwide and demonstrated its commitment to advancing a woman’s right to make fundamental decisions about her body, life, and future,” said Andrea Miller, president of the National Institute for Reproductive Health and its Action Fund. “Vermonters deserve to know that regardless of what happens in Washington, abortion access will be enshrined in their state law. We applaud Vermont’s elected officials – from the legislature to Governor Scott – for taking this critical step forward.”

For more than a decade, NIRH has been a leader in the fight to advance reproductive freedom across the country. Recently, they were integral to the successful effort to repeal an outdated criminal abortion ban in Massachusetts, and they led the fight to pass New York’s landmark Reproductive Health Act. Earlier this year, NIRH published a report tracking the passage of more than 100 bills to advance reproductive health, rights, and justice in 27 states and the District of Columbia.

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The National Institute for Reproductive Health builds power at the state and local level 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. We form strategic partnerships with a wide range of organizations to directly impact the reproductive health and lives of women across the country. Each year, NIRH works in at least 20 states and more than a dozen localities; to date, NIRH has partnered with more than 170 reproductive health, rights, and justice organizations in 43 states and 64 localities across the country.