Late last week, the Maine Senate voted 21-13 to approve a bill that would protect out-of-state patients seeking gender-affirming care or abortions from states where such health care is illegal, even if received in another state. Only the day before, the state’s House passed the legislation with a 76-67 vote. The legislation now moves the desk of Gov. Janet Mills, who has indicated she would sign it into law.
Reports Boston’s Public Radio Station GBH:
It is incredibly important “to protect states where care is legal because providers are worried,” said Polly Crozier, director of family advocacy for GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders. “There’s really a lot of disinformation and misinformation out there. And we want to make sure that in states where care is legal, that providers are able to provide best practice medical care.”
Reports the Associated Press:
The votes came after attorneys general in 16 states, including Tennessee, threatened legal action if Maine proceeded with a shield law preventing out-of-state repercussions for those who provide abortions and what they called “gender transition surgeries for children.”
Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey called those accusations “meritless” and said shield laws were necessary due to other states’ efforts “to punish beyond their borders lawful behavior that occurs in Maine and other states.”
“Harmony between our states would be best preserved and promoted by the exercise of restraint by all parties seeking to control health care related policy choices in other states,” Frey said previously in a statement.
>There was spirited debate over the measure in Maine.
On Thursday, the Maine House censured two lawmakers after one of them accused legislative colleagues of bringing the wrath of God in the form of a mass shooting and recent storms by enacting such laws. The lawmaker, and another who agreed with him, were required to provide a formal apology on the House floor to be allowed to speak and to vote.
“We are grateful and proud of all of the lawmakers in the legislature who endured threats of violence, abhorrent political rhetoric and rampant disinformation to stand and vote to protect safe, legal, medical care in Maine,” said Lisa Margulies, from Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund.
At least 13 states have shield laws protecting medical providers and others from out-of-state investigations regarding abortions — and at least nine, including Maine, have executive orders laying out similar policies.
It’s a similar situation with gender-affirming care for minors.
At least 24 states have adopted laws in the past three years banning or limiting treatments including puberty blockers, hormone therapy and gender-affirming surgery — which is rare for younger patients — for minors. At least 12 states have shield laws that apply to gender-affirming care and two have executive orders.
Read the complete AP story here.
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