Maine Governor Janet Mills yesterday signed into law a bill to protect out-of-state patients seeking gender-affirming care, and also abortions, from states where such health care is illegal, even if received in another state.
Reports the Associated Press:
Gov. Janet Mills signed the proposal after the Democratic-controlled Maine Legislature approved it earlier in the month. The state joins more than a dozen others that protect medical providers from out-of-state investigations about abortions.
The proposal created a disagreement between Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey and attorneys general in several other states, including Tennessee. The out-of-state attorneys general threatened legal action if Maine proceeded with its law. Frey dismissed the threats as “meritless.”
The proposal also caused considerable debate in Maine, where Republicans opposed it.
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, in a press release earlier this month. “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.”
Read the complete AP story here.
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