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November 16, 2020

IN THE NEWS: Radical Push for Abortion “Rights” in Massachusetts

During a Pandemic, Massachusetts Politicians Push Expanded Abortion “Rights” in Budget Bill for Covid Relief, Violating a Prior Agreement

SFLAction Calls on Governor Baker to Use his Line Item Veto

“After brokering a deal to prioritize life-saving plans, an abortion focused contingency has hijacked a budget bill to force an even more radical abortion agenda into law,” said SFLAction’s Kristan Hawkins. “This is the kind of deceptive bait-and-switch that undermines the political process.”

BOSTON, MA and WASHINGTON D.C. (11-16-2020) – Students for Life Action President Kristan Hawkins called the last-minute addition of a radical expansion of abortion “rights” in a bill that lawmakers had agreed would support COVID relief and budget issues “the is the kind of deceptive bait-and-switch that undermines the political process. After brokering a deal to prioritize life-saving plans, an abortion focused contingency has hijacked a budget bill to force an even more radical abortion agenda into law. It shows incredible insensitivity to prioritize ending lives through abortion rather than helping save lives at risk from economic hardship and COVID-related catastrophe. Students for Life Action is calling on Governor Charlie Baker to lead in the way in putting the lives of Massachusetts’ citizens over the desires of the abortion lobby and to veto this measure if necessary.” Under Massachusetts’ law, Baker can line item veto the abortion measure from the bill. A vote is expected as early as Tuesday.

Following the bill’s passage in the Massachusetts House by margin of 108 to 49, it’s currently in the state Senate awaiting a vote this week. SFLAction has been working in opposition to the bill. Click here to learn more.

State leaders have been discussing how inappropriate it is to push abortion in a budget bill that is being considered after the election to address the needs of people suffering as a result of COVID-19. “This is a singularly unique budget that affects how we are going to combat an unprecedented global pandemic, and it’s going to set the stage for the tools that we’re going to use and the course that we’re going to take, not only to protect public health, but also to try to protect increased damage to the economy,” Minority Leader Bruce Tarr said to media. “I hope that we as an institution will have the discipline not to engage in large policy making activities outside the scope of the exercise I just described.”

“Powerful abortion forces in Massachusetts know that we’re headed for a post-Roe America,” said Hawkins. “So they’ve placed abortion language in the form of an unrelated amendment to the proposed state budget. We’re ready to expose this extremism for what it is, dangerous and unpopular. Massachusetts doesn’t want expanded abortion for minors, for non-doctors to be able to perform abortion, or for abortions up until birth.”

Amendment 759 is modeled after the ROE Act which will further expand later abortions in the Commonwealth up until birth, mirroring the language of Doe v. Bolton, which allows for abortions up until birth in the name of “mental health.” The ROE Act is being pushed by Squad member U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts’ 7th District with the support of Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts, the ACLU of Massachusetts, and NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts. Massachusetts has already been granted a “Protected” status by the Center for Reproductive Rights, should Roe v. Wade be reversed.

To learn more about SFLAction’s Blueprint for a Post-Roe America, click here.

For interviews, contact Kristi Hamrick at [email protected].

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Students for Life Action (SFLAction) is the 501c4 sister organization of Students for Life of America (SFLA), the nation’s largest, pro-life, student organization with more than 1,240 groups on middle, high school, and university campuses in all 50 states. Students for Life has more conversations with those most targeted by the abortion industry every day, week, and year than any other pro-life outreach in the world and mobilizes the Pro-Life Generation to confront abortion at the local, state and national levels daily. Every week, Students for Life entities reach more than 2 million people across social media platforms to have nearly 200,000 digital conversations with the most engaged pro-life online audience in the world.

Students for Life of America (SFLA) is the nation’s largest, pro-life, youth organization. Headquartered in Fredericksburg, VA, SFLA serves more than 1,240 groups on college and university, middle and high school, medical and law school campuses in all 50 states. Student pro-life organizations work to confront policies on their campuses to support pregnant and parenting students, to end Planned Parenthood’s relationships with schools and communities, and to change minds of their peers about abortion. SFLA has more conversations with those most targeted by the abortion industry every day, week, and year than any other pro-life outreach in the world and mobilizes the Pro-Life Generation to confront abortion at the local, state and national levels daily. Every week, Students for Life entities reach more than 2 million people across social media platforms to have nearly 200,000 digital conversations with the most engaged pro-life online audience in the world.