Maine Governor set to approve bill permitting abortions at any stage

Maine Moves Closer to Allowing Elective Abortions Up Until Birth

Maine is on the verge of passing a groundbreaking bill that would permit elective abortions at any stage of pregnancy, pending final approval from Governor Janet Mills.

The bill, known as H.P. 1044, or “An Act to Improve Maine’s Reproductive Privacy Laws,” would grant women the right to receive a late-term abortion based solely on the discretion of their doctor.

With Governor Mills, a Democrat, leading the charge alongside House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross and Senate President Troy Jackson, both also Democrats, it is highly likely that the legislation will be codified.

The inspiration behind the bill stems from the case of Dana Peirce, a Maine woman who, at eight months pregnant, sought an abortion after her unborn son was diagnosed with a lethal skeletal dysplasia. However, due to existing Maine law, Peirce had to travel to Colorado to undergo the procedure, as post-viability abortions are prohibited in the state unless the mother’s life or health is at risk. Elective abortions are currently allowed up to 24 weeks of pregnancy.

“No Maine person should have to endure the same physical, emotional, psychological, and financial burden that Dana and her family had to in order to receive medical care,” stated Governor Mills.

Today, I joined House Speaker Talbot Ross and Senate President Jackson to announce that I am presenting legislation to strengthen Maine’s reproductive health care laws. 1/

— Governor Janet Mills (@GovJanetMills) January 17, 2023

H.P. 1044 recently passed the Maine Senate with a 20-11 vote and had previously been approved by the state House, 73-69.

During the Senate’s final vote, Republican state Senator Stacey Guerin expressed concerns about the potential devaluation of unborn children diagnosed with disabilities.

“Were they of less value to society?” questioned Guerin. “When we start down the path of deciding who is worthy of life, where do we stop? Where did governments before us stop in deciding who had the right to live, and who had the right to die, to make it convenient for the parents, the government, for business?”

Another Republican state senator, Eric Brakey, suggested that the legislation could open the door to the termination of fully-developed babies for various reasons.

Brakey introduced several unsuccessful amendments to mitigate the impact of the bill, including one that would have limited post-viability abortions to cases where the unborn child had a fatal fetal abnormality likely to result in death within 30 days post-birth. He also proposed a four-year moratorium on the sale or transfer of aborted fetal remains.

However, Democratic state Senator Anne Carney argued that the bill represented compassion for families facing difficult circumstances.

During the final House vote, Republican State Representative Tracy Quint voiced concerns that the bill would allow for abortions to take place without any valid reason.

“This bill allows babies at this age group of viability to be killed, at any time, for any reason, truly, for no reason at all,” said Quint. “Please allow our most vulnerable ones the chance of survival.”

Breaking ranks, Democratic State Representative Bruce White voted against the bill, drawing parallels between the legislation and historical instances of dehumanization and genocide.

“To me, this isn’t about winning the next election; it’s about upholding the dignity and rights of the human person,” said White. “The vagueness [of this bill] puts at risk the lives of late-term, healthy, preborn children.”

Even pro-choice Republican State Representatives Lucas Lanigan and David Boyer found the bill to be too extreme.

This bill is the latest in a series of efforts by Maine to increase abortion accessibility. In 2019, Governor Mills enacted legislation requiring public and private insurance to cover abortion services. She also allowed non-doctors, such as nurses, to perform abortions.

Last year, following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Governor Mills issued an executive order prohibiting the state from cooperating with other states in the investigation of abortion law violators. She also directed state agencies to research and limit laws and regulations that restrict abortions.

In February, Governor Mills joined the Reproductive Freedom Alliance, a coalition of 20 states led by California Governor Gavin Newsom, aimed at further legalizing abortions and expanding access to them.

The alliance receives funding from the California Wellness Foundation and additional support from the Rosenberg Foundation, according to a statement from Governor Newsom’s office.

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