Reproductive Equity Now President Rebecca Hart Holder released the following statement today after the Muratore for State Senate campaign released an email that incorrectly states that State Representative Mathew Muratore voted to codify the right to abortion in Massachusetts state law. Murratore voted against the ROE Act in 2020, which codified abortion rights in the Commonwealth. 

Two years since the Dobbs decision decimated the national right to abortion access, one month after the Massachusetts Legislature advanced groundbreaking legislation to address the state’s worsening maternal health crisis, and on the precipice of one of the most important election cycles in history, Reproductive Equity Now has announced its second slate of endorsed candidates for the Massachusetts legislature. These candidates will continue the groundbreaking progress that the Massachusetts legislature has made to meet the post-Dobbs crisis and work to advance a reproductive equity agenda for all Bay Staters. 

Rebecca Hart Holder, President, Reproductive Equity Now:

“We are so proud that the commonwealth is taking decisive and bold action to address the maternal health crisis, eliminate racial inequities in birthing outcomes, and integrate midwives into our maternal health care infrastructure. With Governor Healey’s signature today, Massachusetts is making its values clear: we will continue to stand up for reproductive equity, center birthing people, and ensure that every person has the ability to start or grow their family with autonomy and dignity. We’re grateful to Governor Healey for signing this critical bill into law, and we look forward to turning the corner in the fight for maternal health equity in Massachusetts.”

With the 2023-24 Massachusetts legislative session now closed, Reproductive Equity Now President Rebecca Hart Holder today celebrated the legislature’s major progress to advance reproductive equity in the Bay State. The legislature passed several bills this session that take steps to improve maternal health outcomes, expand access to reproductive health care, and invest in the state’s child care infrastructure, all pieces of Reproductive Equity Now’s 2023-24 legislative priorities.

Members of the Bay State Birth Coalition released the following statements after a comprehensive legislative package to address the worsening maternal health crisis passed out of the Massachusetts legislature in an informal session. The bill now heads to Governor Maura Healey’s desk. 

Rebecca Hart Holder, President of Reproductive Equity Now, released the following statement after a comprehensive legislative package to address the worsening maternal health crisis passed out of the Massachusetts legislature in an informal session. The bill now heads to Governor Maura Healey’s desk. 

Reproductive Equity Now President Rebecca Hart Holder released the following statement today after Massachusetts House and Senate negotiators reached an agreement on An Act promoting access to midwifery care and out-of-hospital birth options. The omnibus bill, which was passed unanimously by the House and Senate this year, includes several of Reproductive Equity Now’s legislative priorities, including provisions to create a pathway to licensure for Certified Professional Midwives and to instruct the Department of Public Health (DPH) to update and revise the regulations that govern freestanding birth centers in the state.

“We are thrilled that Governor Maura Healey is today signing the Massachusetts Parentage Act into law to ensure all children across our state have equal access to the security of a legal parent-child relationship. Reproductive equity is not a reality in Massachusetts until every individual — and every LGBTQ+ family — is able to make decisions about whether and when to parent, and to parent with dignity. This law will protect family formation in a post-Dobbs world, ensure that LGBTQ+ parents have the protections they need to start or build their families, and support children’s development and well-being over a lifetime.”