The Massachusetts legislature overturned the Republican governor’s veto of a bill on Tuesday that expanded access to abortion in several ways, including allowing 16-year-old girls to obtain abortion without parental consent.
Passed earlier this month, the bill codified the historic decision in Roe v. Wade and allows abortion after 24 weeks if the child does not survive after birth. Governor Charlie Baker said that while he agreed with some of the bill’s provisions, he could not accept one that would reduce the age of consent from 18 to 16 years for obtaining the procedure.
Baker told lawmakers he supported the provision that allows abortion in 24 weeks and eliminates the 24-hour waiting period, according to the WBUR.
“However, I cannot support sections of this proposal that expand the availability of later term abortions and allow children under 16 and 17 to have an abortion without parental or guardian consent,” he said.
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The governor would have wanted a revision of the 24-week clause to allow abortion if a medical professional predicted “a substantial risk” to the patient’s physical or mental health. As approved, the project’s language allowed abortions “if necessary, in the best medical judgment of the doctor, to preserve the patient’s physical or mental health”.
The Democratic-controlled Senate and House of Representatives overwhelmingly rejected Baker’s veto. The Senate’s 32-8 vote came just a day after the 107-46 House vote.
Tuesday’s approval represents another victory for Democrats seeking to anticipate a possible Supreme Court decision overturning Roe – a prospect that seemed even more likely with Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation to the Supreme Court.
Massachusetts law met opposition from groups like the Catholic Action League and the Massachusetts Citizens for Life. In a statement released on Tuesday, the anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony List criticized the law.
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“This dangerous new law allows late abortion on demand in Massachusetts and secret abortions for girls under 16,” said SBA list president Marjorie Dannenfelser. “Governor Baker is pro-choice, but that legislation was too much for him to swallow: his veto exemplifies how extreme it is.”
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“The actions taken by Democrats to enforce this legislation are a reflection of how extreme the party has become in relation to abortion. Led by Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi, the Democrats’ countrywide agenda is reflected in this bill: abortion on demand, up to the moment of birth. “
Meanwhile, the project found support from NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts, which considered it a victory for women’s rights. “Today gender equality has taken a big step forward,” tweeted Rebecca Hart Holder, the group’s executive director.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.