Repro Roundup 05.17
Repro Equity Now just wrapped up our first Connecticut legislative session! We are feeling proud of what advanced and we're fired up to come back next year to continue building upon our bold repro equity agenda.
We are so excited that the Nutmeg State successfully expanded paid leave to nearly all workers, a bill Governor Lamont is expected to sign soon and which will go into effect next year. Every person deserves time to access health care or care for their loved ones without risking their economic stability—a key tenet of reproductive equity. We want to shout out She Leads Justice, the Connecticut Working Families Party, and all of the Paid Sick Days Coalition for their tireless efforts getting this bill across the finish line.
We are also really excited by how much progress was made on HB 5424, a bill that would protect providers who choose to offer patients information or referrals for abortion care, even if their health care institution does not provide or permit abortion. While this bill didn’t quite make it over the finish line, it garnered more co-sponsors than ever before and advanced from the Public Health Committee for the first time. We know that with a longer session, more boots on the ground, and the knowledge we gained this session, we will be able to get this bill signed into law next year.
We have our work cut out for us for next year – expanding HUSKY Health to all residents, regardless of age or immigration status; expanding equitable access to fertility care; passing robust and explicit protections for telehealth abortion providers; and getting this provider protection bill to Governor Lamont’s desk. But we can’t do it without you. Sign up to get involved with our Connecticut organizing efforts so we can come back stronger for the 2025 session, and make even bigger advancements towards reproductive equity for the Nutmeg State.
And make sure you help us spread the word about our wins and reflections in Connecticut this year! Our State Director Liz made this awesome video rounding up the session. You can share it on Instagram!
On to this week's headlines –
News from New England
→ Awful Anti-LGBTQ Bills Advance in NH
Yesterday, on a party line vote, the New Hampshire Senate advanced three horrific bills, HB 1205, HB 1312, and HB 619, that directly target LGBTQ+ youth. The fourth bill being voted on by the body, HB 1660, was special ordered to next week and will likely have the same fate.
❌ HB 1205 bans transgender girls from playing girls’ sports from 5th grade (age 10) to 12th grade.
❌ HB 1312 requires educators to provide two weeks’ notice on all curriculum and materials related to gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, and gives parents the ability to opt their children out of this education.
❌ HB 619 bans referrals for gender-affirming surgeries for transgender patients under 18 years old, even to out-of-state providers.
❌ HB 1660 bans Medicaid coverage of gender-affirming care surgeries for patients under 18, which is in violation of the nondiscrimination requirements of the Affordable Care Act
Back in 2018, Governor Sununu signed into law an anti-discrimination bill protecting transgender Granite Staters. We need him to honor that commitment, and New Hampshire’s values of freedom and dignity, and veto these devastating bills. Call Governor Sununu's office today at (603) 271-7676 to tell him to protect trans kids in New Hampshire and veto all LGBTQ+ bills that come to his desk this session.
This past week, New Hampshire State Director Christina Warriner joined LGBTQ+ advocates at the NH State House to stand up against anti-LGBTQ bills before the Senate.
→ Mass Delegation Introduces Mama’s First Act
Last week, Senator Warren introduced the Mama’s First Act in the United States Senate, with Rep. Gwen Moore of Wisconsin introducing companion legislation in the House (with the support of Rep. Ayanna Pressley.) This bill would allow doulas and midwives to be covered by Medicaid nationwide and expand access to culturally competent pregnancy and birth care, particularly in under-resourced communities. We’re very grateful to our delegation for fighting for midwifery and doula coverage on the national stage.
→ And on Beacon Hill, We’re Working to Pass a Birthing Justice Package
While Sen. Warren and Rep. Pressley work to advance birth justice in D.C., we’re working to improve birthing outcomes in Massachusetts. We are thrilled that our priority legislation that would license Certified Professional Midwives is included in maternal health care packages in both the House and Senate Ways & Means Committees. As our own Claire Teylouni told State House News Service, “We are really excited to see the Legislature showing interest in leading on this because there’s tremendous amounts of research showing these are policies that will tangibly improve birthing experiences and birthing outcomes.”
→ Newest #WeCount Report Shows Importance of MA Shield Law
The Society for Family Planning released the latest #WeCount report, which showed that 1 in 5 abortions in the second half of 2023 were performed via telehealth. Specifically, thanks to the shield law in Massachusetts (and Vermont, New York, Colorado, and Washington State), nearly 6,000 people a month were able to access telemedicine abortion care in states with severe or total restrictions on abortion care. This report also makes it clear how important it is that next year, we advance explicit telehealth shield protections for Connecticut-based providers so they can support these efforts.
→ MA Attorney General Campbell Leads National AG Repro Rights Group
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell (our 2023 gala honoree!) announced that she is leading the legal fight for reproductive freedom as the national chair of the Reproductive Rights Working Group, a new group of attorneys general from across the country working together to protect abortion access. As we’ve been saying since our expansion, to meet the post-Dobbs moment, we need to share strategies and resources across states, and we’re thrilled to see progressive AGs doing that with this effort.
National Notice
→ Abortion Bans Kill. These Studies Show the Grim Reality.
An extremely grim study in the peer-reviewed journal Health Affairs revealed that abortion bans, restrictions, and TRAP laws are associated with higher rates of domestic violence and intimate partner homicide. Previous studies have found that TRAP laws are also associated with higher rates of suicide among people with the capacity to become pregnant. Even for patients who manage to access abortion care, with new bans and bounty hunter laws, the threat of abusive behavior from current and former partners remains high. Abortion bans are also reducing the number of physicians in states with restrictions, as reported by KFF. The numbers don’t lie; abortion bans and restrictions have fatal consequences, whether it is forcing people to continue unsafe pregnancies, keeping them in dangerous situations with abusive domestic partners, or preventing them from accessing comprehensive pregnancy care.
→ More Lawsuits and Progress on Coverage of Fertility Treatment for LGBTQ+ Couples
After a class action lawsuit alleging discrimination against LGBTQ+ couples due to fertility care coverage policies, Aetna has updated their definition of infertility to include queer couples and will cover fertility care for those patients going forward. This is a huge win for equitable access to fertility coverage! NYC is currently facing a lawsuit over the fact that city employees in LGBTQ+ relationships are not eligible for IVF coverage under the city’s insurance policy. In Connecticut, Comptroller Sean Scanlon expanded fertility care coverage to LGBTQ+ state employees earlier this year, and while a bill that would have expanded fertility coverage to all Nutmeggers fell short this year during the short session, we can see the national trends changing and we’ll keep fighting to pass equitable fertility coverage in Connecticut next year.
→ Supreme Court is Poised to Weigh in on Transgender Health Care
The U.S. Supreme Court is currently in the process of reviewing two cases that concern bans on gender-affirming care for minors, and decisions from their conferences are expected any day now. In one case, the Biden Administration has filed to block the enforcement of a Tennessee ban on gender-affirming care for minors, even with parental consent. After the judges review these cases, they will determine whether or not to hear arguments next fall. The judges have rescheduled their conference in which they will make that determination multiple times since February.
→ Louisiana, Not Content With SCOTUS Attacks on Mifepristone, Try to Make it a Controlled Substance
A new baffling tactic from the far-right, taken straight out of the Project 2025 playbook, emerged recently in Louisiana. Lawmakers have filed a bill that would make mifepristone, one of two drugs used in the gold standard protocol for medication abortion, and misoprostol, the other drug used in medication abortion (also commonly used for ulcer management, miscarriage treatment, and postpartum hemorrhage) “dangerous controlled substances,” on par with opioids. This would make possession of these medications without a valid prescription a crime punishable by jail time. Mifepristone is already facing egregious, scientifically-baseless attacks at the Supreme Court, but adding misoprostol to this list could worsen Louisiana’s already grave maternal mortality crisis, as misoprostol is critical to birth and miscarriage management in many cases.
→ Katie Britt, New Face of the GOP, Pushes Bill that Could Create National Pregnancy Registry and Fund Anti-Abortion Centers
We know that anti-abortion centers notoriously spy on patients, mislead pregnant people, receive government funding despite not providing accurate medical care, and have extremely suspect data privacy policies. Now, Senator Katie Britt of Alabama, who also (eerily) delivered the State of the Union response this past year, wants to federally fund anti-abortion centers and empower them to create a national database of pregnant people. This maneuver, disguised as an effort to help new mothers, is a clear part of the Project 2025 plan to surveil pregnant people and ban abortion nationwide, which Trump would let happen if re-elected.
Watch this space for more news from us regarding how to take action against anti-abortion centers, coming to your inbox soon 👀
Get Involved!
📍BOSTON AREA! Join Repro Equity Now at Boston Pride for the People! 🏳️🌈
One of our favorite events of the year is swiftly approaching - Boston Pride for the People! Repro Equity Now will be all over New England at various Pride celebrations, but we especially need volunteers to march with us in Boston. LGBTQ+ liberation is a critical part of reproductive equity, and we could not be more thrilled to join the festivities. We’d love to have you join us! Sign up to march with us here.
📍NEW HAMPSHIRE! Call Governor Sununu and Tell Him: Protect Trans Kids
We need your help to protect trans kids in New Hampshire. We need all hands on deck to prevent four awful anti-trans bills from being signed into law. Please call Governor Sununu’s office at (603) 271-7676 and tell him to veto any anti-LGBTQ+ bills that come to his desk. You can also attend a postcard or letter writing party to contact Governor Sununu by mail. Join NAMI NH on Tues. May 21 from 4:00 to 7:00 pm in Concord or Seacoast Outright on Thurs. May 23 from 6:00 to 7:30 in Portsmouth.
📍ANYWHERE! Join the Abortion Access Advocates!
The next Abortion Access Advocates training will be on June 10th at 7:00 pm, and will celebrate Pride month by focusing on the intersections between abortion access, reproductive health care, and gender-affirming care, and discuss the importance of gender-inclusive advocacy. RSVP here!
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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