With another Supreme Court decision involving abortion access looming, leaders in Massachusetts this week re-affirmed the state’s commitment to keeping access open, including a new executive order signed by the governor.
Governor Maura Healey this week announced she signed an executive order reaffirming the state’s abortion laws and policies.
Healey made the announcement as she and other state leaders marked the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision, which effectively ended constitutional protections for abortion. The governor’s office says a ruling could come down as soon as this week involving a lawsuit involving the state of Idaho.
According to the Associated Press, the federal government argues the state’s ban on abortions at all stages of pregnancy encompasses women experiencing medical emergencies – a violation of federal law.
It has the former state attorney general’s attention.
“The Supreme Court is about to hand down a decision that will decide whether or not a law in Idaho, which essentially says to women ‘you may be in a terrible situation, your life may be on the line, but if you're a pregnant person and your life is on the line, you are not going to receive needed emergency life-saving treatment until and unless you are reaching the point that your life is actually on the line,’” Healey said Monday during an event. “And we know what this has meant already for women in Idaho who had to be helicoptered from the state - pregnant women who've had to be helicoptered from the state, in order to receive lifesaving emergency care. [The] courts going to decide whether or not that's constitutional.”
Also speaking at the event was state Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, who says a potential ruling against the federal government’s stance could have far-reaching repercussions.
In addition to claiming the case could dictate how close to death a person must be to receive an emergency abortion, the Democrat added repercussions go beyond just abortion care.
“This issue is not merely about abortion care - it's about one's right to have a child or not to have a child, and the right to parent children in a safe and healthy environment,” Campbell said. “It's also about those who may be deciding whether or not to have a child, and if something goes terribly wrong, to make a personal and thoughtful decision with their provider, without the interference of government. This is a life-or-death issue.”
Healey’s executive order directs personnel under the governor's authority to "reaffirm and recognize" state laws protecting abortion rights.
It also instructs the state Commissioner of Public Health to "issue guidance to hospitals that as a condition of licensure in Massachusetts, all hospitals must comply with all applicable state and federal statutes and regulations" when it comes to abortion access and care.
The commissioner, Dr. Robbie Goldstein, reiterated the penalties for failing to provide said care.
“Failure of a hospital or a provider to provide abortion care, to preserve the life of a pregnant person or to prevent risk of serious harm, is a violation of state statutes and regulations and federal requirements, and it will result in disciplinary action,” Goldstein said.
The Division of Insurance was also tasked with issuing a "bulletin" to insurers, identifying the state’s expectations regarding carrier requirements to provide coverage for abortion and abortion related-care, according to Healey's office.
