Nevada’s Republican Governor, Joe Lombardo, approves bill safeguarding abortion access for out-of-state patients.

Republican Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo, a self-described pro-life Catholic, has signed a bill enabling people to come from other states to get abortions. This is a significant move, given that other states have limited access to abortions and passed laws to prosecute residents who travel to other states for abortions.

The Nevada bill comes as other states have limited access to abortions and passed laws to prosecute residents who travel to other states for abortions.

The bill, known as Senate Bill 131, bars state agencies from assisting in out-of-state investigations that could lead to the prosecution of abortion seekers who travel to Nevada. The bill also bars medical boards and commissions that oversee medical licenses from disciplining or disqualifying doctors who provide abortions.

Abortion Protections at the State Level

With his decision to sign the abortion bill, Lombardo became one of only a few Republican governors who have signed laws preserving abortion protections at the state level. Earlier this month, Republican Vermont Governor Phil Scott signed a similar law shielding abortion providers from out-of-state prosecutions. In July of last year, then-Massachusetts Republican Governor Charlie Baker also signed a bill into law that protects abortion providers from out-of-state prosecutions.

Lombardo’s Abortion Stance

Lombardo beat incumbent Democratic Governor Steve Sisolak to win the 2022 Nevada gubernatorial election. Lombardo was the only Republican to defeat a Democratic incumbent in the state during the 2022 election cycle. Lombardo won the 2022 election with the endorsement of the National Right to Life Committee, a pro-life organization.

“Nevadans decided long ago that the issue of abortion should only be decided by Nevada voters themselves,” Lombardo’s campaign website states. “In 1990, Nevadans codified the right to an abortion in state law through a referendum, so that only voters could make changes to it moving forward. While Joe will always govern as a pro-life governor, he trusts the people of Nevada to make the important decision of what legislation to send to his desk.”

The abortion bill Lombardo signed into law on Tuesday codifies an executive order Sisolak implemented during his time in office. During the election cycle, Lombardo originally said he would repeal Sisolak’s executive order, but reversed course later on in the election cycle.

Conclusion

Overall, Lombardo’s decision to sign the abortion bill is a significant move that protects the reproductive rights of women who travel to Nevada for abortions. It also sets a precedent for other Republican governors to follow in preserving abortion protections at the state level.