Anti-Abortion Activists Gather Enough Signatures To Block Massachusetts Law That Would Allow Abortion up to Birth

Anti-abortion activists in Massachusetts say they have secured enough signatures to temporarily block a new law that critics warn will allow abortion up to birth. In August, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed the Prioritizing Patient Access to Care Act, which eliminates restrictions on abortions after the 24th week. The governor, who is running for re-election, has touted the law as a measure that will keep abortion “safe” and accessible. Existing state law allowed late-term abortions only under limited circumstances. The new law would leave that decision up to the “professional judgment of a physician.” Nine other states have removed gestational limits. An anti-abortion advocacy organization, Massachusetts Family Action, decried the law as “one of the most extreme” measures in the country, saying it will allow abortion “at any point in pregnancy, for any reason.”The law was slated to take effect on November 8. However, on Thursday, Massachusetts Citizens for Life, MCFL, said that it had collected 97,276 signatures in favor of a ballot measure to repeal the law. Under Massachusetts law, if voters obtain enough signatures for their push to repeal a law, they can temporarily block it from taking effect until the referendum is put up for a vote. In this case, the repeal measure would appear on the ballot in 2028. Opponents of the law were facing a November 6 deadline to submit signatures for their effort to repeal the law. The activists needed 37,000 signatures to put a repeal measure on the ballot in 2028, and 49,716 to temporarily suspend the law.A coalition of pro-life groups worked to gather signatures, with Catholic and Protestant churches holding signature-gathering events.The chairman of the Compassionate Care Coalition, Sam Miele, said in a statement that Massachusetts residents “did not ask for abortion through all nine months, and in a matter of weeks they made that clear.”Pew’s 2023-24 Religious Landscape survey found that 78 percent of adults in Massachusetts said they believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 19 percent said they believe it should be illegal in all or most cases. Ms. Healey may be able to prevent the law from being suspended if she declares it an “emergency” measure. A spokeswoman for Ms. Healey declined to say if she would do so, and said the governor “continues to monitor the referendum process and evaluate options.”In 2024, Ms. Healey faced a similar choice when gun rights groups collected enough signatures to block gun ownership restrictions. She declared the law that imposed those restrictions an “emergency,” allowing it to take effect. Voters will decide whether to repeal that law on Tuesday.

Anti-Abortion Activists Gather Enough Signatures To Block Massachusetts Law That Would Allow Abortion up to Birth

Anti-Abortion Activists Gather Enough Signatures To Block Massachusetts Law That Would Allow Abortion up to Birth

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