The leftist Democratic governor of Massachusetts, Maura Healey, signed a law on Monday that eliminates the general limit of 24 weeks for abortions in the state, making Massachusetts one of the territories with the most permissive abortion laws in the United States. The measure was strongly criticized by Republican lawmakers and pro-life organizations, who accuse Healey and the Democrats of moving towards a regime that allows abortions even in very advanced stages of pregnancy.
The new legislation, titled ''An Act Prioritizing Patient Access to Care'' (H.5595), removes previous restrictions and grants doctors greater discretion to determine whether an abortion can be performed after 24 weeks. Under the previous regulations, abortions after that point were limited to certain circumstances, including situations related to the mother's life or fetal diagnoses deemed incompatible with life.
Healey defended the legislation during the signing ceremony and presented the measure as a protection for families facing complicated pregnancies. ''Mothers, fathers, and families experiencing these devastating diagnoses will now be able to make their own decisions,'' the governor stated.
The communist governor of Massachusetts signed a law that promotes late-term abortion
However, her numerous critics believe that the law goes far beyond protecting women with high-risk pregnancies. Republican state representative Alyson Sullivan-Almeida described the approval as ''a very sad day'' for Massachusetts and warned that the new framework sets a precedent whereby a woman could obtain an abortion up to practically the moment of birth, even when it concerns a healthy and viable baby.
The controversy centers precisely on the elimination of the 24-week limit. Opponents argue that by leaving the decision primarily in the hands of doctors, the legislation reduces restrictions on abortions performed in advanced stages of pregnancy and weakens existing protections for unborn babies.
The president of SBA Pro-Life America, Marjorie Dannenfelser, also condemned the decision and accused Healey of supporting a policy that could increase the number of late-term abortions. Dannenfelser further urged Republicans to abandon the stance of ''leaving it to the states'' and promote national standards of protection for unborn children.
Republicans in the state have warned about the risks posed by the removal of certain restrictive criteria on abortion
The law was passed last month by the House of Representatives and the state Senate, both dominated by Democrats. For its critics, the virtually unified support of the Democratic Party demonstrates how far abortion has become a political priority of the left, even when the measures involve eliminating restrictions applicable during the later stages of pregnancy.
Healey, for her part, has made the defense of abortion a central part of her political confrontation with the administration of President Donald Trump and the Republicans. During the signing, she assured that Massachusetts will continue to guarantee access to abortion regardless of the actions that Trump, the Republicans in Congress, or the Supreme Court may take.
With the new law, Massachusetts joins Alaska, Vermont, Oregon, New Mexico, Colorado, Minnesota, Michigan, Maryland, New Jersey, and Washington D.C., jurisdictions that allow abortion throughout pregnancy under certain legal conditions.
Proponents of the measure argue that it removes obstacles for families facing devastating medical diagnoses and allows decisions to be made by patients and their doctors. Republicans and pro-life groups respond that this justification does not explain why the 24-week limit should disappear and question why the State would allow procedures during stages when the fetus may be viable outside the womb.
The government of Donald Trump has as one of its main objectives the promotion of pro-life policies and the discouragement of abortion
