Will RI Democrats
Ignore Abortion Rights Protections?
By Auditi Guha for Rewire
Rhode Island does not
have a law that makes abortion legal, meaning the medical procedure would
become illegal in the state if the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe
v. Wade.
Rhode Island has several
antiquated laws restricting abortion, according to the Guttmacher
Institute, and does not yet have a law that makes abortion legal, making these
pro-choice bills all the more urgent.
Although the Catholic school she
attended removed her portrait from the wall of notables after she took a
pro-choice stance in the 2014 election, Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) has
been mostly quiet on reproductive rights since she took office.
But with three bills in the state
legislature aiming to advance reproductive rights in Rhode Island, Raimondo has
confirmed she intends to sign them if they make their way through opposition
from state legislators opposed to abortion rights.
Introduced in January, the
Reproductive Health Care Act, HB 7340 and SB 2163, protects
abortion rights made law in Roe v. Wade—similar to those passed by
Democrats in neighboring Massachusetts—in case the landmark ruling is
overturned. Sponsored by state Rep. Edith Ajello and state Sen. Gayle Goldin,
both Providence Democrats, the bills are pending in committees.
“Gov. Raimondo has been essentially silent since she’s been elected on reproductive freedom. This has been disappointing to activists and organizations like ours. She’s had the opportunity, repeatedly, especially since the election of Donald Trump, to be the leader that we need on reproductive rights,” said Craig O’Connor, director of public policy and government relations at Planned Parenthood of Southern New England.
“I believe she’s on our side, I
believe she would sign good legislation and veto bad legislation, but Gov.
Raimondo has not been the vocal leader that these times call for.”
Rhode Island has several
antiquated laws restricting abortion, according to the Guttmacher
Institute, and does not yet have a law that makes abortion legal, making these
pro-choice bills all the more urgent. Abortion care would become illegal in
Rhode Island if the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade.
“We have a president who is anti-choice,
no friend of women, and has demonstrated a reckless disregard for the
Constitution. We have anti-choice leaders in both chambers of Congress, and a
Supreme Court whose balance could help the other two branches destroy the
protections provided by Roe v. Wade,” Ajello said in a statement marking the 45th anniversary of Roe.
“Unless we erase these
unconstitutional laws, it is feasible that the women of Rhode Island could be
knocked back a half-century to the days of secret, dangerous backroom
abortions. This isn’t symbolic. It’s necessary to protect women’s lives and
rights.”
Another bill, HB 7625,
would provide year-round contraception to those who have health insurance
coverage.
Josh Block, a spokesperson for the
governor, said both bills have Raimondo’s support. “She fully supports H7340,
which codifies important protections for women into state law. She also
believes it is critical that contraceptive care be both accessible and
affordable, and she looks forward to working with the legislature to make this
happen.”
Raimondo has come under attack for her pro-choice stance, and was even
slighted by the Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas J. Tobin when he refused to attend her inauguration.
The Roman Catholic preparatory
school La Salle Academy that removed Raimondo’s photo after she gave a
pro-choice speech and accepted a Planned Parenthood endorsement, later removed
all portraits of notable students from its walls, the Providence
Journal reported.
Even with gubernatorial backing,
advocates worry that the passage of these laws will be tough in the
Democratic-majority state that has powerful anti-choice politicians, including
four men who are considered the most powerful leaders of the General
Assembly—Senate President Dominick Ruggerio, House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello,
Senate Majority Leader Michael McCaffrey and Majority Leader K. Joseph
Shekarchi.
They have been called complacent and biased when it comes to enacting laws
to protect reproductive health.
“I want to be clear that the real
obstacle to moving forward is the leadership in the General Assembly. They have
the power, nothing goes anywhere except through the General Assembly. That’s
where are deepest disappointment and concern lay,” O’Connor said.
Speaker Mattiello (D-Cranston), for
example, is backed by anti-choice groups like Rhode Island Right to Life and wields power in the
house to chill open debate on abortion rights, said Jordan Hevenor, co-founder
of The Woman Project, formed last year to advocate for the Reproductive Health
Care Act.
“One of the biggest challenges has
been informing people about the current precarious state of reproductive rights
in Rhode Island. Many people don’t realize that reproductive health care,
including abortion, hangs in the balance based on federal legislative and
judicial developments. Rhode Island is a blue state and has a history of
electing national leaders who fight for reproductive rights. As a result,
people expect the Democrats elected to the General Assembly will lead with a
similar vision. The reality is that many of the gatekeepers in the General
Assembly, despite being Democrats, are often indifferent or even hostile
towards codifying Roe v. Wade,” she told Rewire.News in
an email.
Despite many Rhode Islanders supporting reproductive
rights—including the right to abortion care—the conversation has not been easy
in the most Catholic state in the nation where Mass is
televised on Sunday mornings.
Hevenor said advocates have found
that residents in Rhode Island don’t talk about these issues and some members
of the General Assembly are uncomfortable having this discussion.
When they do, it is often “couched
in sexist or paternalistic terms, telling us not to get emotional, stating that
the topic is too personal, or saying that there just isn’t a threat and we
don’t have to worry. These statements marginalize us as supporters and
activists for important and necessary public policy,” she said.
Statistics indicate that Rhode
Island residents, 75 percent of whom are Christian, overwhelmingly support
legalizing abortion, according to Pew Research Center polling. Yet, NARAL Pro-choice America lists Rhode Island
as having the most restrictive abortion laws, worse than GOP-held states like
Alaska and Montana.