Call/write Governor Dan McKee, and ask that he include Medicaid coverage for abortion in the 2022 budget he is preparing (and will introduce in January)
Telephone (401) 222-2080. The staff are friendly, and will pass along your message.
Or, go to https://governor.ri.gov/contact to send a message.
A fact sheet put out by Planned Parenthood Votes RI, which can facilitate your conversation
Abortion protection continues to be seriously threatened.
What happened?
- The Supreme Court declined to rule on the Department of Justice’s challenge to Senate Bill 8, the Texas abortion bill ban that has been in effect for over 3 months. This means that SB8 is still in effect, depriving women of access to abortion after 6 weeks. Women have had to leave Texas for abortion access. They’re doing so in large numbers, and overwhelming clinics in nearby states.
- The Supreme Court denied suits filed by providers in Texas, and by the Biden administration, to block the law..
- While Roe v Wade has not been overturned, the ruling allows the Texas abortion law to continue to be in effect, reducing the benefits, and curtailing abortion for many women. Following the Dobbs vs Mississippi decision on December 1, the fate of abortion access is on the line.
In 2019 the Reproductive Privacy Act was passed in Rhode Island (with the support of many League members), ensuring the right to an abortion. However, there are still bans in our RI laws for abortion care coverage - specifically, for those individuals in the state Medicaid program.
Over 300,000 individuals - that's 1 in 3 - are prohibited from using their health care plans to cover abortion. That means abortion is not accessible to these individuals, who are least able to afford the coverage.
So help make abortion care more equitable in Rhode Island. Call/write Governor Dan McKee, and ask that he include Medicaid coverage for abortion in the 2022 budget he is preparing (and will introduce in January). And, in January plan to help pass the Equality in Abortion Care Act in the General Assembly.
Reproductive Justice Cases You Should Know About - LWVUS Blog
There is No Equality Without Reproductive Rights - LWVUS Blog
