Repro Roundup 05.31
When it comes to protecting access to abortion and comprehensive reproductive health care, we know we need to be fighting at all levels of government, from the Oval Office to the halls of Congress to our state houses and town councils. That’s why we were proud to join Senator Elizabeth Warren and Senator Ed Markey for a Senate Committee on Banking field hearing here in Boston this week. Our president, Rebecca Hart Holder, provided testimony to the senators regarding the state of abortion access in Massachusetts and the continued threats to reproductive freedom nationwide.
We’re proud to be leading many efforts on the ground to defend abortion access and reproductive health care here in New England, such as launching the Abortion Legal Hotline, the New England Abortion Care Guide, our guidebook on taking action against anti-abortion centers, and other organizing and advocacy efforts across the region. But we are facing a crisis of epic proportions in the post-Dobbs era, with even more attacks waiting in the wings, such as two potentially catastrophic cases at the Supreme Court with decisions that will be released in the coming weeks.
As Rebecca told the panel, the GOP will use “will use any means necessary to ban abortions” if given the opportunity next year. We’ve been saying it for months, and we’ll continue to say it every week until November: we need everyone off the sidelines and on the ground fighting for abortion access and reproductive equity.
We have many opportunities to get involved in the fight to defend our reproductive freedom – keep reading for ways to take action this week!
On to this week's headlines –
News from New England
→ Call Sununu: Tell Him to VETO Anti-Trans Bills
This past week, hundreds of activists marched right up to Governor Chris Sununu’s office in the New Hampshire State House to demand that he stand by trans Granite Staters and veto several anti-LGBTQ bills that have come to his desk this session. Despite these advocates' heroic efforts, Gov. Sununu refused to meet with them. We know what we have to do: keep his phone ringing all day and all night and make sure the Governor understands that there is no room for hate in the Granite State. Stand with LGBTQ+ folks in New Hampshire and call Chris Sununu today to tell him to VETO HB 1205, HB 1312, HB 396, and HB 619.
Give the Governor a call at (603) 271-7676 and ask that he veto all anti-LGBTQ legislation that comes across his desk this session.
→ New England Delegation Fights to Protect Contraception and Reproductive Autonomy
Next week, we expect Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to bring to the floor Senator Ed Markey’s Right to Contraception Act, a bill affirming the legal right to access birth control, for a vote. While we are not confident that this bill will get the necessary 60 votes to beat the filibuster and be passed due to Republicans’ staunch anti-reproductive freedom agenda, we know that it is important to get every senator on the record on this issue. Donald Trump last week expressed interest in limiting access to birth control, and his allies within Project 2025 have plans in place to reclassify emergency contraception as an “abortifacient” (which is medically and scientifically inaccurate), remove requirements under the Affordable Care Act that require insurance coverage of contraception, and defund family planning clinics that provide low-cost or free birth control to low-income patients. Some Republicans have tried to obscure their views on birth control or back away from attempts to restrict access to contraception, which is why we need to get their votes on the record so their constituents have a clear understanding of elected officials’ commitment to protecting contraception access.
In other Congressional news, we’re grateful to see Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley leading the charge on Capitol Hill to expand the conversation on reproductive justice and push Congress to recognize disability justice as a core tenet of reproductive justice. As Senator Markey reminded us this past week at the Senate Banking field hearing, attacks on abortion and contraception are not exclusive to forcing parenthood from people who do not wish to be pregnant, but are also rooted in eugenicist practices from our nation’s history that have sought to prevent people with disabilities from becoming parents. As we fight for access to abortion and contraception, we must also fight just as hard for expansive reproductive autonomy and the right to become a parent.
→ Kelly Ayotte Campaigns with Glenn Youngkin After He Vetoed Bill Protecting Contraception
Here’s a great example of why we need those votes on the record: Kelly Ayotte claims that as governor of New Hampshire, she won’t move to limit access to birth control or abortion. Then in the same month, she announces a campaign event with Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, who just last week vetoed a critical piece of legislation protecting the right to contraception. How can we possibly trust that she will protect our right to reproductive autonomy when she campaigns with anti-abortion, anti-birth control governors in other states? If she stands shoulder to shoulder with Glenn Youngkin, she will not stand with Granite Staters in need of reproductive health care.
→ Paid Sick Leave Signed into Law
A major victory in Connecticut this week – Governor Ned Lamont signed into law a bill expanding paid sick leave to all Connecticut workers! With such a short and busy session this year, we are thrilled to see this major legislation become law. All workers deserve paid time off when they are sick, accessing health care, or caring for their loved ones, regardless of how large their employer is.
→ Data Bill Defeated in NH
A big victory in New Hampshire last week – a bill we have spoken about in previous roundups, which would have collected sensitive data about abortions that take place in New Hampshire, has been rejected by the NH legislature. While some states with pro-abortion leadership collect statistics on abortion for well-intentioned purposes, in New Hampshire, this proposal prompted a lot of skepticism. The executive leadership of the state are not allies to abortion rights, and this proposal made a lot of advocates concerned about what this data would be used for, as well as whether or not patient privacy would be effectively protected. We’re glad to see this confusing and skeptical legislation rejected this session.
National Notice
→ Louisiana Categorizes Medication Abortion as a Controlled Substance
While the federal Drug Enforcement Administration controls the “scheduling” of drugs (i.e., the classification of how dangerous they are based on FDA guidelines), states can enact their own enforcement mechanisms for certain drugs – such as legalizing marijuana, or adding stricter restrictions on the distribution of opioids. Louisiana, in an unprecedented move, has officially reclassified mifepristone and misoprostol, the two drugs used in a gold standard medication abortion, as dangerous controlled substances. Anyone in possession of these medications without a prescription could face prison time. This legislation also creates a state database of all people who have been prescribed medications that can induce an abortion, to allow for law enforcement to confirm that those in possession of these medications have a prescription – essentially creating a database of every abortion patient in Louisiana. As we await a decision from the Supreme Court in the mifepristone case, this move by Louisiana opens the door for other anti-abortion states to take similar action, which will be extremely dangerous for patients seeking to self-manage their abortion care.
→ HHS Opens EMTALA Violation Portal
The Department of Health and Human Services announced last week that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have opened an online portal for patients who believe their rights under EMTALA have been violated to report incidents to the federal government. EMTALA is a 40-year-old federal law that ensures patients will receive the stabilizing or life-saving care they need at emergency departments, including when facing life-threatening pregnancy complications like PPROM, a miscarriage, or placental abruption. While the Supreme Court deliberates if EMTALA is enforceable against state-level extreme abortion restrictions, this portal will allow the federal government to collect data from patients on how emergency abortion care is being denied to patients in need, and take action against hospital administrators violating EMTALA.
In Illinois last week, a bill advanced that reinforces EMTALA’s abortion-related provisions in state law and empowers the state to investigate EMTALA violations and issue penalties to hospitals.
6,000 physicians across the United States also submitted a brief to the Supreme Court urging the justices to uphold EMTALA and enable them to continue providing the best medical care to their patients, including emergency abortion care.
→ Melinda Gates Makes a Major Gift
Last week, philanthropist Melinda Gates announced that she is committing $1 billion to global efforts to advance feminism and women’s rights, as well as $200 million towards organizations defending women’s rights in the United States. She has also selected several movement leaders who will direct the disbursement of $240 million to causes advancing these issues, and $250 million to be awarded through an open call for organizations advancing women’s rights locally and globally.
→ Unmasking the Anti-Abortion Movement
The New York Times last week published an in-depth profile on the Alliance Defending Freedom and Leonard Leo’s Federalist Society network, which were the driving forces behind the efforts to overturn Roe and advance anti-abortion legislation nationwide. The Alliance Defending Freedom was also the organization that devised both the Missouri Gestation Act, which is the law that prompted the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization and led to the overturn of Roe, as well as the Texas Heartbeat Act, which allowed a private right of action against abortion providers and people who help patients access abortion care in Texas. The story is well-worth a read to understand how connected these efforts were, how sophisticated the anti-abortion movement is, and what we can do to fight back against these insidious alliances.
Get Involved!
📍NEW HAMPSHIRE! Call Governor Sununu and Tell Him: Protect Trans Kids
Celebrate Pride Month approaching by helping us 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 [(603) 271-7676] and tell him to veto HB 1312, HB 1205, HB 619, and HB 396.
📍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.
📍CONCORD, NH! Join us for Equality’s 5k and Rainbow Recess!
This Sunday, Christina, our New Hampshire State Director, will be running Equality Health Center’s Pride 5k in the morning and tabling on the State House lawn for Rainbow Recess all afternoon! Rainbow Recess, which will start at 11AM, is a celebration of queer youth and joy in the face of attacks on LGBTQ+ students. We hope you’ll join us for these two important events to kick off Pride Month!
📍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!
📍SEACOAST! Join us for Preconceived!
Please join Reproductive Equity Now in Portsmouth on June 25th for a screening of Preconceived, a documentary that exposes anti-abortion centers’ deceptive and dangerous agendas. We’ve brought Preconceived to Brookline, MA, Concord, NH, and now we’re bringing it to Portsmouth on June 25th! Purchase tickets today.
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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