Repro Round Up 12.1.23

This week, the New Hampshire Executive Council, once again, disappointed the state by caving to anti-abortion misinformation and denying Family Planning Program funding to New Hampshire’s reproductive health service providers, Equality Health Center, Lovering Health Center, and Planned Parenthood of Northern New England. The Executive Council is a little-known executive branch of government in the Granite State that has an outsized impact on reproductive health care access. Made up of five elected councilors, the Executive Council is responsible for approving all state contracts over $10,000, in addition to confirming judges, commissioners, and department heads. 

These Family Planning Program contracts are critical to clinics’ ability to provide low-income Granite Staters with essential health care, like contraception access, cancer screenings, STD testing and treatment, and more. This denial of funding will severely impact these clinics’ ability to continue providing life-saving services at an affordable cost. 

Because of clear and enforceable restrictions in federal and state law, these contracts cannot be used to pay for abortion services. Local clinics have passed multiple audits conducted by the state’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) confirming that there is no commingling of funds and that all dollars sourced from the Family Planning Program go towards providing non-abortion reproductive and sexual health care. However, four of the five people who serve on the Executive Council are anti-abortion, and continue to cave to anti-abortion propaganda that falsely claimed that these contracts would be used to pay for abortion care. (Thank you to Councilor Cinde Warmington, who continues to be the lone vote in support of New Hampshire residents' health care!)

To be clear: New Hampshire residents support reproductive freedom and their local clinics. Repro Equity Now delivered a petition to the Executive Councilors this week with over 450 signatures from Granite Staters demanding that funding be restored to these clinics. Still, four out of five Executive Councilors ignored the will of Granite Staters and voted to limit their access to health care. That will not be forgotten when it is time to decide who continues to serve on the Executive Council next year.

 Onto this week’s headlines—

New England Round Up

→ Medication Abortion Toolkit Supports College Implementation

Last year, Massachusetts passed a law requiring public colleges and universities in the state to develop medication abortion readiness plans to begin offering, or referring for, medication abortion on college campuses. Now, Reproductive Equity is proud to be assisting with the implementation of these efforts! Last week, Repro Equity Now, in partnership with the Healey administration, released a toolkit to help colleges make medication abortion accessible on campus and support the development of these readiness plans. As more states move to restrict or ban access to abortion nationwide, it’s critical that Massachusetts colleges provide abortion care for students who may or may not call the Commonwealth their permanent home. We’re meeting students where they are at with the health care they want and need!

→Abortion is a Winning Issue – And Everyone Should Campaign On It!

In New Hampshire, two candidates for the Democratic nomination for Governor are taking a hint from voters in Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Kansas, and more, and campaigning on expanding access to abortion in the Granite State. Especially with burgeoning limitations on access due to clinics being defunded, as well as more and more out-of-state patients coming to seek care in New England, having someone in the corner office who supports abortion access is critical. 

→Highlighting Bay State Leaders in the Fight for Reproductive Justice: Feyla McNamara

In case you missed it, MassLive published an awesome profile on abortion fund leader and reproductive rights activist, Feyla McNamara, co-Executive Director of one of Massachusetts’ four abortion funds, Tides for Reproductive Freedom. As a Mohawk/Mi’kmaw activist, Feyla uplifts Indigenous voices across Massachusetts and fights for reproductive equity by advocating against the Hyde Amendment, which greatly harms Indigenous communities who use federally-funded Indian Health Services. 

National Notice

→Birth Control is Next on the Chopping Block for Anti-Abortion Extremists

A Texas man is suing the federal government because he believes that Title X, which prevents health care providers from telling him his daughters are seeking birth control, violates Texas state law. As Imani Gandy from Rewire News Group said, “sometimes it’s not practical for a teen to tell their parents they want birth control due to violence and abuse in the home, and requiring parental notification undercuts the point of Title X.” 

However, Jonathan Mitchell, the architect of Texas’s abortion bounty hunter law that was put into effect nearly a year before the Dobbs decision, is on this case. And remember Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, the Trump-appointee who wants the FDA to undo its approval of mifepristone? He sided with the plaintiff on this case in the Fifth Circuit, despite all precedent (and Constitutional law!) indicating that Title X supersedes Texas state law. We will be watching closely to see how this case impacts access to birth control; it could have major implications for patients across the country – not just in Texas. 

→Meta Calls Period Care Ads Political

A UK-based gynecological startup that creates materials and devices for period care is having their ads repeatedly rejected by Meta Business Suite, making them unable to advertise on Facebook. Meta apparently considers these ads, which refer to sexual organs and menstruation, as “political.” When Meta rejects these ads, it becomes increasingly hard for future ads to be approved, and the cost for advertising rises. 

→Rolling Stone: Trump, Who Destroyed Roe, Thinks He Can Run As an Abortion ‘Moderate’ in 2024

An article in Rolling Stone this past week details how Donald Trump is attempting to develop a policy position on abortion that he thinks can make both Democrats and Republicans happy… whatever that means. Donald Trump is the architect of Dobbs; he packed the Supreme Court with highly partisan allies and rammed through judicial appointments across the country. He created a breeding ground for the end of legal abortion access in nearly half of the country and emboldened far-right, anti-abortion extremists to act quickly and extremely. We hope it will be clear to voters that any stance Trump has on abortion is in no way “moderate.” 

Get Involved with Reproductive Equity Now

- Across New England -

📍 ANYWHERE! Abortion Access Advocates FIRST Training!

Join us December 11th for the launch of Repro Equity Now’s new community organizing program, Abortion Access Advocates! We’ll get to know other community activists, preview our upcoming calendar of Abortion Access Advocates trainings, and dig in on how to talk to family and friends about abortion over the holidays. 

Abortion Access Advocates is a new statewide network of abortion advocates learning and growing together in their advocacy. The program is designed to support and resource advocates like you! By becoming a Repro Equity Now Abortion Access Advocate, you’ll get invited to monthly virtual trainings on topics ranging from how we elect pro-abortion candidates in 2024, to how we can break down barriers to care across New England, to how to advance reproductive equity in your hometown, and so much more! You’ll also get a monthly advocates’ digest email so you can stay up-to-date on repro news and opportunities for action. 

📍ANYWHERE! Follow Repro Equity Now on Social Media

Stay up to date on the latest in the reproductive equity movement by following Reproductive Equity Now on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Tik Tok.

- New Hampshire -

📍NEW HAMPSHIRE! Let the Executive Council Know How You Feel About them Defunding Our Care

The Executive Council voted to defund our reproductive health service providers AGAIN. We’re still collecting signatures to tell the local clinics we have their back and we’re not backing down. To hold these Executive Councilors accountable, sign our petition and join our work to defend reproductive health care access in the Granite State.

Our Resources

Need to understand your legal rights to provide or access abortion care? Reproductive Equity Now’s Abortion Legal Hotline will help connect Massachusetts-based health care providers and helpers, as well as patients obtaining care in Massachusetts, with free legal advice and resources about abortion access.

Looking for an abortion provider in your area? Our New England Abortion Care Guide allows you to search by zip code for legitimate abortion clinics near you. It even flags dangerous and deceptive anti-abortion centers to avoid at all costs.

Do you want to help advance reproductive equity in your community? Our Win & Deliver Toolkit offers policy proposals and supporting materials to serve as a starting point for municipal leaders looking to move the needle forward on reproductive equity.

Thank you so much for powering this fight.
We’re grateful to have you in the movement with us.