Repro Roundup 02.23.24
We always knew that the far-right was not going to stop with attacking abortion – and this past week, the Alabama Supreme Court proved us right in an alarming decision that will profoundly impact IVF access in the South. The Alabama court found embryos involved in the IVF process to be legally classified as an “extrauterine child.” Not only does this decision put all IVF procedures at risk of being banned, but it also paves the way for the far-right’s “fetal personhood” movement, which experts predict is what antis will use to ban abortion, contraception, and IVF nationwide.
Take a look at what IVF experts expect the impact to look like here in Massachusetts.
News from New England
→ Repro Equity Now Joins Sen. Warren, MA Repro Advocates for Roundtable
Repro Equity Now's Claire Teylouni and Jaime Watson joined Senator Elizabeth Warren and other advocates this week at Health Imperatives, a reproductive health care clinic with seven locations across Southeast Massachusetts and the Cape and Islands, for a roundtable discussion on the state of reproductive health care access in Massachusetts. The event was an opportunity for Senator Warren to discuss with repro advocates the prevalence and dangers of anti-abortion centers, and also highlight the need for public education around anti-abortion centers and how patients can find legitimate providers. (As a reminder, if you are in need of abortion care, you can find real providers using our New England Abortion Care Guide). Senator Warren also highlighted that she has introduced legislation to prevent tech companies from selling location data, as well as increase funding for health care access in Massachusetts. We’re grateful to have Senator Warren advocating for us in the Senate.
Jaime, Claire, Sen. Warren, Commissioner Goldstein, and others
→ We Launched Our CT Legislative Agenda!
Big news in the Nutmeg State – we launched our 2024 Connecticut Legislative Agenda! Connecticut has a long history of protecting abortion access, but this equity agenda will help take Connecticut beyond Roe and help achieve a more expansive vision for reproductive equity in Connecticut. Some of our top priorities include:
👶 Promoting equitable access to fertility care for LGBTQ+ and single individuals
🏥 Expanding access to HUSKY coverage (CT’s Medicaid program) for all people, regardless of immigration status
🌐 Strengthening shield protections to protect doctors who are willing to offer telehealth medication abortion to patients outside of Connecticut
❌ Protecting patients' access to care by ensuring that religious institutions cannot use refusal laws to prevent their providers from offering medically-accurate health care
You can read more about these priorities on our website at our new Connecticut Legislative Agenda page!
→ Advocating for HUSKY 4 Immigrants in Connecticut
We dove right into on-the-ground work at the Connecticut Capitol to pass HUSKY 4 Immigrants legislation that would give all people—regardless of immigration status—the ability to enroll in HUSKY (Connecticut's Medicaid program). Last week, our team joined the coalition for a launch press conference and Lobby Day at the State Capitol. Liz Gustafson, our CT State Director, then hosted a legislative testimony workshop and training event with HUSKY 4 Immigrants to empower supporters to bring their voice to the state legislature. Liz then testified before the Legislature in support of the expansion of HUSKY—watch Liz's testimony HERE!
Liz with the team from HUSKY 4 Immigrants
→ Mifepristone Protections Advance in New Hampshire
Last week, the New Hampshire State House and Senate voted to advance two pieces of legislation intended to protect and expand access to mifepristone in the Granite States amidst national attacks on medication abortion. HCR 11, which condemns political attacks on mifepristone, passed the House with bipartisan support, and SB 567, which calls upon the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services to compile a report on the availability of mifepristone and misoprostol, passed on a voice vote. We’re thrilled to see New Hampshire take these important steps to protect medication abortion. Read our statement here.
→ Terrifying Discovery by Sen. Wyden Makes Clear: We Need to Pass the Location Shield Act
Last week, Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) released a new report revealing that a data broker had collected and sold location data information of patients of over 600 Planned Parenthood clinics, including ones in New England, to an anti-abortion advocacy group. This location data was then used to target anti-abortion disinformation towards visitors of these clinics on behalf of Wisconsin Right to Life. Under current law, data brokers are able to buy and sell location data to advertising agencies, political advocacy groups, or anyone with a credit card. This story makes clear that the Massachusetts Legislature needs to pass the Location Shield Act and protect Bay Staters’ location data from being sold to anti-abortion extremists. This bill would prohibit companies from engaging in the predatory practice of selling location data, while still allowing them to collect and process this data for legitimate purposes with user consent.
National Notice
→ Anti-Abortion Centers Rake in Funding from the Federal and State Government
In post-Roe America, disinformation-spewing anti-abortion centers are raking in public tax dollars that allow them to spread religious zealotry, spew abortion stigma, poorly practice medicine without the proper licensure or training, and surveil patients through their reproductive health journeys. The Guardian reported that anti-abortion centers received $1.4 billion in public funding the year that Roe fell. Kansas is reportedly considering diverting $4 million from the general fund towards anti-abortion centers, despite the overwhelming support for abortion access demonstrated at the ballot box last year. Utah has proposed earmarking $400,000 for anti-abortion centers this year. Louisiana and North Dakota already publicly finance anti-abortion centers through tax credits. This public funding makes clear that we need to invest in community education (like Massachusetts is doing!) to ensure patients seeking abortion care can find legitimate providers.
→ As Abortion Deserts Grow in Size, Anti-Abortion Centers Grow in Power
Speaking of the growing financial power of anti-abortion centers, as far-right state governments systematically decimate abortion access through bans, TRAP laws, and defunding providers, abortion and maternity care deserts have exponentially grown in size. The 19th reported last week that for many low-income patients in Texas seeking abortion care, their only option for ultrasounds or other testing are anti-abortion centers. Frequently, patients who ultimately end up receiving care out-of-state report that when they encountered anti-abortion centers, they were fed disinformation and fervently dissuaded from seeking abortion care. It is critical that these institutions be held accountable for spreading disinformation and interfering with patients’ health care decisions. Remember that if you are seeking legitimate abortion care, you can find providers using our New England Abortion Care Guide, and also learn more on how to identify and avoid anti-abortion centers.
→ Trump and the ADF’s Big 2025 Plans
The New York Times reported last week that Trump is shopping around support for a 16-week abortion ban, should he retake the Oval Office. In our last Roundup, we shared with you the terrifying insight into Project 2025, the plans the anti-abortion right-wing has in store should Donald Trump beat Joe Biden this November. It is seeming increasingly like the Republican Party is coalescing around a 16-week abortion ban as a first step. Of course, we know – especially in light of the news from Alabama this past week – that they will not stop there. In order to defend access to abortion here in New England and retain the possibility of restoring abortion access and reproductive freedom nationwide, we must defeat Donald Trump in November.
→ EMTALA Case Oral Arguments to Begin April 24
The Supreme Court has announced that on April 24th, they will hear oral arguments in the case of Idaho v. United States, in which the Attorney General of Idaho is suing the federal Department of Health and Human Services over the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA), a federal law which they claim should not preempt Idaho’s Defense of Life Act. Essentially, EMTALA instructs emergency room physicians to use their best medical judgment to save the life of a patient, which may include inducing abortion or early labor. We have seen this exact scenario play out multiple times across the country, in which pregnant patients experiencing severe, life-threatening complications, are denied life-saving abortion care or delivery care because physicians are handcuffed by restrictions that do not clearly spell out medical exceptions under abortion bans (Idaho’s law has no exceptions). In the post-Roe era, all eyes must be on the Supreme Court, as the Dobbs decision was not the end of the legal question of abortion access, but merely the beginning.
Get Involved!
📍ANYWHERE! Abortion Provider Appreciation Day is Coming Soon 💜
Abortion Provider Appreciation Day is coming up on March 10th, and Repro Equity Now is giddy to celebrate one of our favorite holidays! Keep your eyes out for actions you can take to show appreciation for your local abortion providers – we will be sending more information soon!
📍ANYWHERE! Join the Abortion Access Advocates!
The Abortion Access Advocates team learned a ton at their February 12th training on the basics, history, and language of the reproductive justice movement. The next training on March 11th will cover how you can kickstart local repro policy movements in your community. Register today!
📍NEW HAMPSHIRE! Save the date for our Concord Screening of Preconceived
We were thrilled to bring a screening of Preconceived, a film exposing anti-abortion centers’ deceptive practices, to the Coolidge Corner Theater back in December. Now, we’re excited to bring this eye-opening film to the Red River Theater in Concord, NH this March! Purchase your tickets for our Concord, NH screening and post-film panel on March 28th!
📍ANYWHERE! Purchase Tickets for Reproductive Equity Now’s 2024 Gala!!
Save the date (and reserve your tickets today!) for Reproductive Equity Now’s Annual Gala on April 11th! We will be honoring reproductive equity activists across New England, celebrating our wins from this past year, and honing in on our vision for reproductive equity across New England. We’d be honored if you join us for what will surely be an incredible night!
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.
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