New Poll Shows Overwhelming Support for Abortion Measures in Budget
Three in four voters support 24-week exception for lethal fetal diagnoses and over 80 percent say teens don’t need a judge, they need professional health care; 70 percent of Catholics say State Legislature should protect abortion through legislation.
BOSTON, Mass.– A new poll finds Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly support the ROE Act provisions in the FY 2021 budget designed to protect and expand access to abortion care.
In November, the House and Senate adopted budget measures that would allow for abortion after 24 weeks in the event of a lethal fetal diagnosis, enable 16 and 17-year olds to make their own decisions about abortion care without being forced to go to court, and codify the right to abortion into Massachusetts law. Lawmakers are expected to send the FY 2021 budget to Governor Baker for approval on Friday.
The statewide survey of 1,026 Bay Staters, conducted by Change Research, was taken on behalf of NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts between November 16 and November 18 2020. It found overwhelming support for each key aspect of the ROE Act adopted in the budget:
3 in 4 Massachusetts voters think the state legislature should proactively protect the right to abortion through legislation. This figure includes 84 percent of women, 66 percent of men, 61 percent of Independents, and 70 percent of Catholics.
3 in 4 voters in Massachusetts support an exception to the 24 week ban in cases of a lethal fetal diagnosis. This figure includes 63 percent of Independents, and 68 percent of Catholics.
More than 4 in 5 voters in Massachusetts do not believe that vulnerable teens seeking abortion care need a courtroom judge, including 77 percent of Independents and 57 percent of Republicans. Further, nearly 3 in 5 voters directly support repealing the parental consent law.
“What this poll shows is what we know. The people of Massachusetts agree that abortion access is a fundamental right. People across all political spectrums have made it clear that Massachusetts officials should fight for reproductive freedom. Massachusetts voters made it clear they support reproductive freedom when they expanded the legislature’s pro-choice majority in November and they have made it clear with thousands of calls and emails in support of removing medically unnecessary barriers to care,” said Rebecca Hart Holder, Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts. “Voters believe that all Bay Staters should be able to access time-sensitive reproductive health care when and where they need it, without being forced to fly across the country or being forced to go to court. I hope Governor Baker listens to voters and signs these critical budget provisions into law.”
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Contact:
Jon Latino
jon@prochoicemass.org
978-870-9388