{"id":45084,"date":"2023-01-21T19:49:43","date_gmt":"2023-01-21T19:49:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.brandon.ddtest.info\/multisite-test\/gov-mills-to-introduce-legislation-to-expand-access-to-abortion-throughout-pregnancy\/"},"modified":"2023-01-21T19:49:43","modified_gmt":"2023-01-21T19:49:43","slug":"gov-mills-to-introduce-legislation-to-expand-access-to-abortion-throughout-pregnancy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.brandon.ddtest.info\/multisite-test\/gov-mills-to-introduce-legislation-to-expand-access-to-abortion-throughout-pregnancy\/","title":{"rendered":"Gov. Mills to introduce legislation to expand access to abortion throughout pregnancy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> \n<\/p>\n<div itemprop=\"articleBody\" id=\"js-post-content\" data-truncate=\"3\">\n<div id=\"attachment_34145930\" class=\"caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 750px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/multifiles.pressherald.com\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/01\/20230117_Abortion_01.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-34145930 size-intermediate\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"500\" data-full-size=\"https:\/\/multifiles.pressherald.com\/uploads\/sites\/10\/print\/20230117_Abortion_01.jpg\" data-should-sell=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/multifiles.pressherald.com\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/01\/20230117_Abortion_01-750x500.jpg\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-34145930 size-intermediate\" src=\"https:\/\/multifiles.pressherald.com\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/01\/20230117_Abortion_01-750x500.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"500\" data-full-size=\"https:\/\/multifiles.pressherald.com\/uploads\/sites\/10\/print\/20230117_Abortion_01.jpg\" data-should-sell=\"no\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gov. Janet Mills speaks during a news conference about new legislation to expand abortion rights in Maine on Tuesday. Maine lawmakers who have worked in support of the legislation stand behind her. <span class=\"credit\"> <i>Brianna Soukup\/Staff Photographer<\/i><\/span> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>AUGUSTA \u2014 Gov. Janet Mills, abortion rights activists and legislative leaders unveiled a series of legislative measures on Tuesday to expand abortion access in Maine, including a bill that would make abortion legally accessible at any time during pregnancy with the approval of a qualified medical professional.<\/p>\n<p>Maine law currently allows abortion up until the fetus is viable, which is about 22 to 24 weeks. After that, abortions are prohibited unless the life or health of the mother is at risk. This bill would allow later abortions if approved by a licensed medical professional specializing in reproductive health care. Only Alaska, Colorado, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont and the District of Columbia currently allow for abortions without gestational limits.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_34149686\" class=\"caption alignleft\" style=\"width: 250px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/multifiles.pressherald.com\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/01\/34143791_20230117_DanaPeirce_03.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-34149686 size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\" data-full-size=\"https:\/\/multifiles.pressherald.com\/uploads\/sites\/10\/print\/34143791_20230117_DanaPeirce_03.jpg\" data-should-sell=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/multifiles.pressherald.com\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/01\/34143791_20230117_DanaPeirce_03-250x250.jpg\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-34149686 size-thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/multifiles.pressherald.com\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/01\/34143791_20230117_DanaPeirce_03-250x250.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\" data-full-size=\"https:\/\/multifiles.pressherald.com\/uploads\/sites\/10\/print\/34143791_20230117_DanaPeirce_03.jpg\" data-should-sell=\"no\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dana Peirce, seen at the State House Tuesday, traveled to Colorado for an abortion after she and her husband learned that their second child had a rare genetic mutation that led to broken bones in the womb and a rib cage too small to let him breathe. <em>Brianna Soukup\/Staff Photographer<\/em> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The legislation is inspired by the story of Dana Peirce of Yarmouth, who in 2019 had to spend $40,000 and travel to Colorado to get an abortion after an ultrasound at 32 weeks found a rare and painful genetic mutation in the fetus that would lead to death in the womb or shortly after birth. Pierce wanted an abortion to end the suffering of the child she\u2019d already named Cameron, but at eight months pregnant, she was already beyond Maine\u2019s legally allowable abortion window.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaine\u2019s abortion laws are strong, but Dana\u2019s painful experience shows us that there is more we can do to protect and support Maine people seeking abortion care,\u201d Mills said during a statehouse news conference. \u201cNo Maine person should have to leave our state, the comfort of their family or friends, and have to potentially spend thousands of dollars just to access the care they need. This bill removes barriers to care and makes clear that, in Maine, the decision to have an abortion is for a woman and her medical provider to make.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Peirce wrote about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pressherald.com\/2022\/11\/01\/maine-voices-our-state-is-not-immune-to-attacks-on-abortion-access\/\">her experience<\/a> in the Press Herald in November.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs strong as Maine\u2019s abortion law is, it still leaves people like me without options. We had to travel away from our home, our daughter and our support systems to end my pregnancy,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n<p>This bill is one of four highlighted by Mills, legislative leaders and advocates during a news conference attended by dozens of lawmakers. Other proposed abortion-related legislation included a bill to prevent municipalities from preempting state abortion laws, a bill to eliminate health insurance co-payments for abortion care, and a bill to strengthen protections for healthcare providers offering abortion care to people traveling to Maine from states where abortion is no longer legal.<\/p>\n<p><strong>FOUR BILLS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The preemption bill, An Act to Protect the Reproductive Freedom of Maine People, sponsored by Rep. Laura Supica, D-Bangor, takes a page out of the anti-abortion playbook, using a strategy in favor among Republican governors to prevent liberal cities in conservative states from circumventing state abortion bans. Supica\u2019s bill is intended to ensure that every Mainer has the same rights, regardless of what town they live in.<\/p>\n<p>An Act to Remove Barriers to Comprehensive Pregnancy Care in Private Insurance, sponsored by Rep. Matt Moonen, D-Portland, would require insurance companies to cover abortions without cost sharing. Current Maine law requires private insurance to cover abortion care as a part of comprehensive pregnancy care, but many insurance plans require patients to pay out-of-pocket for abortion until they meet deductibles, causing delays in care.<\/p>\n<p>Nicole Clegg, the chief strategy and impact officer for Planned Parenthood of Northern New England,\u00a0said abortion deductibles typically run $500 to $1,000.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor too many Mainers, unexpected medical costs mean choosing between paying for care or covering the rent and putting food on the table,\u201d Moonen said.<\/p>\n<p>The bill to protect Maine abortion providers, sponsored by Rep. Amy Kuhn, D-Falmouth, codifies language in Mills\u2019 2022 executive order shielding out-of-state abortion seekers coming to Maine.<\/p>\n<p>The midday event drew a few opponents to watch the spectacle unfold. Christian Civic League of Maine\u2019s policy director, Mike McClellan, listened to get an idea of what he might be up against in the upcoming legislative session, knowing that Democrats probably have enough votes to push most abortion rights bills through both the House and Senate. But he took heart knowing that they lack the 101 votes needed to pass any constitutional amendments to protect abortion access in Maine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI heard the words health care, health and safety mentioned a lot, but this is abortion, that\u2019s the opposite of safety, the opposite of health,\u201d McClellan said. \u201cIt\u2019s ironic. Some of the truths that I hear them say, well, they aren\u2019t my truths, not my reality. They aren\u2019t truths for most people in Maine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>REPUBLICANS CALL BILLS EXTREME<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>House Republicans fired off a statement opposing the bills, calling them extreme and saying they go against what the majority of\u00a0 Mainers are willing to tolerate.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis runs counter to wide support for current Maine law that restricts abortions after fetal viability,\u201d House Republicans said. \u201cDespite statements suggesting Republicans would seek to change Maine\u2019s abortion law, it is now Governor Mills who is looking to make Maine\u2019s (law) the most extreme in the country. During the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pressherald.com\/2022\/10\/04\/watch-tonights-maine-gubernatorial-debate-at-8-p-m\/\">October 4, 2022, gubernatorial debate<\/a>, Governor Mills was asked: \u2018Would you support removing the current viability restriction in Maine\u2019s law?\u2019 Governor Mills responded: \u2018No, I support the current Maine law.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n<p>Senate Minority Leader Trey Stewart, R-Presque Isle, said Republicans want to ensure children in state custody remain safe, while Democrats are talking about \u201ckilling more fetuses.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_34146596\" class=\"caption alignright\" style=\"width: 300px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/multifiles.pressherald.com\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/01\/20230117_Abortion_02.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-34146596 size-medium\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" data-full-size=\"https:\/\/multifiles.pressherald.com\/uploads\/sites\/10\/print\/20230117_Abortion_02.jpg\" data-should-sell=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/multifiles.pressherald.com\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/01\/20230117_Abortion_02-300x200.jpg\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-34146596 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/multifiles.pressherald.com\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/01\/20230117_Abortion_02-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" data-full-size=\"https:\/\/multifiles.pressherald.com\/uploads\/sites\/10\/print\/20230117_Abortion_02.jpg\" data-should-sell=\"no\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gov. Janet Mills speaks during a news conference about new legislation to protect abortion rights in Maine on Tuesday. <span class=\"credit\"> <i>Brianna Soukup\/Staff Photographer<\/i><\/span> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cApparently, that\u2019s their priority,\u201d Stewart said after a Republican-led child welfare news conference. \u201cOurs is focused on child welfare and making sure that the children that we\u2019re responsible for are going to be able to grow up.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Abortion emerged as one of the top issues of the last campaign cycle for Democrats after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last spring, ending a woman\u2019s right to an abortion under the U.S. Constitution. The case of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pressherald.com\/2022\/06\/24\/in-historic-reversal-supreme-court-overturns-abortion-rights-freeing-states-to-enact-bans\/\">Dobbs v. Jackson Women\u2019s Health Organization<\/a> threw the legality of abortion back to the states and led to a wave of abortion bans and restrictions in a dozen conservative states.<\/p>\n<p>Maine is one of just 17 states with a law that explicitly protects a woman\u2019s right to abortion, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a think tank that studies abortion issues across the country. Twelve states have adopted abortion bans, with exceptions on a state-by-state basis in cases where a mother\u2019s life is at risk or in cases of rape or incest.<\/p>\n<p>Enacted in 1993 under Republican Gov. John McKernan, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pressherald.com\/2022\/05\/08\/maines-complicated-history-with-abortion-sets-the-stage-for-the-next-battle\/\">Maine\u2019s law<\/a> allows abortions up until fetal viability, which generally occurs between 22 and 24 weeks. After that, an abortion may only be performed to preserve the life or health of the mother. But Mills and her fellow Democrats have argued that laws can change, depending on who controls the state government, so abortion rights groups have sought additional state-level protections.<\/p>\n<p><strong>AWAITING AG\u2019S AMENDMENT REVIEW\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Mills has repeatedly said that she would support a constitutional amendment to protect abortion rights if an analysis by the Office of the Maine Attorney General determined it was necessary. On Tuesday, she said that she is still awaiting a review from Attorney General Aaron Frey about whether the need for a constitutional amendment exists.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_34149638\" class=\"caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 750px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/multifiles.pressherald.com\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/01\/34143791_20230117_AbortionLegislation_10.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-34149638 size-intermediate\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"500\" data-full-size=\"https:\/\/multifiles.pressherald.com\/uploads\/sites\/10\/print\/34143791_20230117_AbortionLegislation_10.jpg\" data-should-sell=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/multifiles.pressherald.com\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/01\/34143791_20230117_AbortionLegislation_10-750x500.jpg\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-34149638 size-intermediate\" src=\"https:\/\/multifiles.pressherald.com\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/01\/34143791_20230117_AbortionLegislation_10-750x500.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"500\" data-full-size=\"https:\/\/multifiles.pressherald.com\/uploads\/sites\/10\/print\/34143791_20230117_AbortionLegislation_10.jpg\" data-should-sell=\"no\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nicole Clegg of Planned Parenthood Northern New England said at the news conference that late-in-pregnancy abortions in Maine are very rare. <span class=\"credit\"> <i>Brianna Soukup\/Staff Photographer<\/i><\/span> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The language in the highlighted legislation is still under development, but according to Clegg, with Planned Parenthood, Mills\u2019 proposed legislation would allow a licensed doctor to approve and conduct a patient\u2019s abortion later in pregnancy in cases of rape or incest, but statistics suggest that it most likely would be a fetal anomaly like the one Dana Peirce experienced that would lead to an abortion after 24 weeks.<\/p>\n<p>Clegg estimated that only about a dozen Maine residents a year need late-in-pregnancy abortions, almost always due to the recent discovery of medical fetal anomalies. Seventy percent of the 2,000 abortions performed in Maine each year occur in the first nine weeks of pregnancy, according to Planned Parenthood of New England statistics. Nine out of 10 of all Maine abortions take place before the 12th week of pregnancy.<\/p>\n<p>Abortions that take place after the first trimester happen because people get new information they didn\u2019t have before, such as learning about a fetal or maternal health issue or the loss of a job or spouse, and because of social, economic and logistical barriers to abortion care, including the obstacles facing people who live in states where abortion is illegal who must find the money, access and time off from work to obtain care in a state where abortions are legal, according to a 2019 study out of the University of California San Francisco.<\/p>\n<p>The bill the governor has proposed is called An Act to Improve Maine\u2019s Reproductive Privacy Act because it would build on the original legislation, which was signed into law in 1993.<\/p>\n<p><em>Staff Writer Randy Billings contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"mtm-article-comments-talk print-no\">\n<hr\/>\n<div class=\"account-creation\">\n<div class=\"account-creation__messaging account-creation__messaging--error\">\n<p>Invalid username\/password.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"account-creation__messaging account-creation__messaging--success\">\n<p>Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"password-reset\">\n<p class=\"password-reset__information\">Use the form below to reset your password. 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Janet Mills speaks during a news conference about new legislation to expand abortion rights in Maine on Tuesday. Maine lawmakers who have worked in support of the legislation stand behind her. Brianna Soukup\/Staff Photographer AUGUSTA \u2014 Gov. Janet Mills, abortion rights activists and legislative leaders unveiled a series of legislative measures on Tuesday to &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":45085,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[161],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.brandon.ddtest.info\/multisite-test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45084"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.brandon.ddtest.info\/multisite-test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.brandon.ddtest.info\/multisite-test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.brandon.ddtest.info\/multisite-test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.brandon.ddtest.info\/multisite-test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45084"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.brandon.ddtest.info\/multisite-test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45084\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.brandon.ddtest.info\/multisite-test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45085"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.brandon.ddtest.info\/multisite-test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45084"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.brandon.ddtest.info\/multisite-test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45084"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.brandon.ddtest.info\/multisite-test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45084"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}