Massachusetts lawmakers on Tuesday vetoed the Republican governor on a bill that would increase abortion access in a variety of ways, including allowing 16-year-old girls to have abortions without parental consent.
The bill was approved earlier this month and has the distinctive ruling in Roe v. Wade codified and allowed abortions after 24 weeks if the child was not expected to survive after birth. Government Charlie Baker said that although he agrees with some of the provisions of the bill, he can not find one that has lowered the age of consent from 18 to 16 years for obtaining the procedure.
Baker told lawmakers he supports the provision to allow abortions at 24 weeks and eliminate a 24-hour waiting period, according to WBUR.
“However, I cannot support the portions of this proposal that extend the availability of abortions in the later term and allow 16- and 17-year-olds to have abortions without the consent of a parent or guardian,” he allegedly said.
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The governor would like the 24-week provision to be revised to allow abortions if a medical profession predicts a “substantial risk to” the patient’s physical or mental health. As enacted, the language of the bill allowed abortions “if necessary, in the best medical judgment of the physician, to preserve the physical or mental health of the patient.”
The state’s Democratic Senate and House overwhelmingly rejected Baker’s veto. The Senate’s 32-8 vote comes just a day after the House’s vote of 107-46.
Tuesday’s portion represents another victory for Democrats who want to anticipate a possible Supreme Court decision to overthrow Roe – a prospect that seemed even more likely with Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation to the Supreme Court.
Massachusetts law has been met by groups such as the Catholic Action League and Massachusetts Citizens for Life. In a statement released Tuesday, anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony List exploded the law.
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“This dangerous new law provides for late-term abortion in Massachusetts and covert abortions for underage girls as young as 16,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the SBA list. “Governor Baker is preferred, but this legislation was too much for him to stomach: his veto illustrates how extreme it is.”
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“The action taken by the Democrats to pass this legislation is a reflection of how extreme the party has become over abortion. Led by Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi, the Democrats’ agenda for the whole country reflects. in this bill: abortion on demand, until the moment of birth. “
Meanwhile, the bill received support from NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts, which sees it as a victory for women’s rights. “Today, gender equality has taken a big step forward,” tweeted Rebecca Hart Holder, the group’s executive director.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.