Maternal health and reproductive equity groups joined together at the State House Thursday to advocate for legislation to expand access to midwifery care in Massachusetts. Advocates participated in direct lobbying with legislators before joining together for a rally on the State House steps.

Reproductive Equity Now is today launching its next leg of “Organizing for Equity: The Roe’d Show,” a series of organizing events throughout the state aimed at educating Massachusetts communities on how to access abortion care, how to identify (and avoid) dangerous anti-abortion centers, how to talk about abortion like an advocate, and ways people can help reenvision Roe and ensure reproductive equity for all. The next leg of events will take place in Holyoke and Salem this fall.

Reproductive Equity Now, a leading advocacy organization for reproductive freedom and equity, today announced it will officially expand its advocacy work into New Hampshire.

The organization aims to build the first regional model for reproductive equity advocacy and make New England a leader in protecting and providing reproductive health care for all.

“A rigged, far-right federal judiciary continues to play politics with our bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom. Today’s decision is yet another sign that anti-abortion forces will use any means necessary to attack abortion access nationwide, even in states like Massachusetts.”

“But as much as we are disappointed in tonight’s outcome, we are determined to keep fighting to ensure every person across our Commonwealth has access to accurate, unbiased information on how they can obtain reproductive health care services.”

The Massachusetts House and Senate enacted its FY2024 budget yesterday with critical provisions and investments to expand contraception access and address the maternal health crisis in Massachusetts. The budget, which now heads to Governor Maura Healey’s desk for her signature, also includes a continued $2 million investment to support abortion access and infrastructure in the state.

“This new data is a sobering reminder that Massachusetts is not immune from the maternal morbidity crisis. Even in a state that has acted time and time again to expand access to reproductive health care, too many people—especially Black birthing people—are continuing to face life-threatening complications from pregnancy,” said Rebecca Hart Holder, President of Reproductive Equity Now.

Following Easthampton Mayor Nicole LaChapelle’s veto of a reproductive health ordinance last week, Reproductive Equity Now is urging the Easthampton City Council to override the Mayor’s decision and pass the ordinance that would increase public education about the dangers of anti-abortion centers and codify the state’s shield protections at the municipal level.

Today, Reproductive Equity Now is launching “Organizing for Equity: The Roe’d Show,” a series of organizing events throughout the state aiming to educate Massachusetts communities on how to access abortion care, how to identify (and avoid) dangerous anti-abortion centers, and ways people can help reenvision Roe and ensure reproductive equity for all.

“This case is further proof that anti-abortion centers like Clearway not only harm the health and safety of people seeking abortion, but also patients in need of basic pregnancy care,” said Rebecca Hart Holder, President of Reproductive Equity Now.

“As extremists continue to wage attacks on health care, trans kids, and the lessons we teach in the classroom, ensuring that Massachusetts leads with sexual health education that is medically accurate, LGBTQ+ inclusive, and age-appropriate has never been more important,” said Rebecca Hart Holder, President of Reproductive Equity Now.

Reproductive Equity Now today celebrated Julie Rikelman’s confirmation to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, which covers Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico, and Rhode Island. Rikelman represented the Mississippi abortion clinic in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health case before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Reproductive advocacy groups today launched “Your Location: It’s None of Their Business,” a campaign to ban the sale and trade of cellphone location information in Massachusetts.

After the fall of Roe v. Wade, there has been a groundswell from cities and towns across the Commonwealth looking to take proactive steps to protect and expand reproductive health care, including abortion. Today, Reproductive Equity Now launched its 2023 Town & City Champion Pledge, a policy pledge for candidates for mayor, city councilor, town councilor, and select board to commit to using their elected office to protect every person’s right to access the full range of reproductive health options.

“Today’s decision from the Supreme Court to uphold the stay on mifepristone allows us to breathe a temporary sigh of relief. As this case goes through the appeals process, millions of people will be able to continue to access mifepristone in states where abortion remains legal,” said Rebecca Hart Holder, President of Reproductive Equity Now.

Reproductive Equity Now President Rebecca Hart Holder released the following statement today after a federal appeals court late Wednesday night temporarily froze parts of Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk’s ruling to halt FDA approval of mifepristone, but reinstated medically unnecessary, pre-2016 restrictions on medication abortion care.

Reproductive Equity Now President Rebecca Hart Holder released the following statement today after Governor Maura Healey announced several actions to protect and stockpile a state supply of mifepristone, the first drug used in a two-drug medication abortion regimen. The announcement follows Northern District Court of Texas Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk’s ruling in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday to stay, or halt, the FDA’s 23-year approval of mifepristone.

“Today a far-right, anti-abortion judge—two thousand miles away in Amarillo, Texas—ruled with anti-abortion extremists to usurp the will of the people and restrict medication abortion access nationwide. We want to be clear: Judge Kacsymryk’s decision has no basis in science, medicine, or justice. The decision is a result-driven, politically-motivated legal charade intended to ban abortion nationwide.”