Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, vetoed a bill on Thursday that would have allowed 16- and 17-year-olds to get an abortion without their parents’ consent, the Boston Globe reports.
Although Baker previously amended the measure, both the Massachusetts House and Senate voted to reject his changes, which concerned late-term abortion and access for those under the age of 18.
“As I said in my amendment letter I strongly support a woman’s right to access reproductive health care, and many provisions of this bill,” Baker wrote in his veto message. “However I cannot support the sections of this proposal that expand the availability of later-term abortions and permit minors age 16 and 17 to get an abortion without the consent of a parent or guardian.”
The state legislature, which is heavily Democrat, is expected to overrule the governor’s veto, the bill having passed both chambers with a substantial majority.
Baker’s move was condemned by reproductive rights advocates like the ROE Act Coalition, which includes the ACLU of Massachusetts, NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts, and Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts.
“With this veto, the Governor has made plain that he has no problem imposing medically unnecessary barriers that delay and deny care, and forcing families to fly across the country to get compassionate care,” the group wrote in a statement, adding that Baker “is blocking people’s access to care to score political points with anti-abortion extremists.”
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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