Legislators in the Maine House of Representatives voted against several bills this week that took aim at women’s rights and civil rights in Maine.
Fortunately, representatives voted against these proposals, in favor of preserving the rights of Maine people.
Four bills were voted down in the house that would have limited access to abortions and created independent legal status for a fetus under criminal law.
The text of these bills would have required parental consent for an abortion for minors even in the case of incest; imposed a mandated 24-hour delay for abortions; and required doctors to read a biased, state-mandated script to women seeking abortions.
These bills would do nothing to further women’s right or protect women or children. Currently, Maine law requires an adult to be notified before a minor can be scheduled for an abortion. Most often, this will be a parent, but in abusive relationships or in cases of incest, this provision allows a young woman to seek out a trusted adult in such situations.
Also, abortion clinics are required to advise all women of their options when they seek an abortion and the procedure is not typically scheduled on a first visit.
The statistics in Maine also show abortion is infrequent and reducing more and more each year.
Over the last 20 years, Maine’s teen pregnancy and abortion rates have dropped to some of the lowest in the country. According to a report released by the Guttmacher Institute in January, Maine ranked 48th for teen pregnancy in the country. From 1988 to 2005, the rate of pregnancy per 1,000 teens ages 15-19 dropped from 82 to 43.
Abortion rates mirrored the decline in teen pregnancy rates ”“ and even dropped further. The number of abortions per 1,000 teenagers ages 15-19 dropped from 30 to 12 from 1988 to 2005.
Maine’s comprehensive sex education in public schools is working, and should not be changed. We hope legislators will take the bull’s-eye off of women’s reproductive rights and focus on fixing the state’s economy and creating jobs.
Another bill that was rejected this week by members of the House would have removed protections from the Maine Human Rights Act for transgender people. The bill would have left it up to businesses to determine whether people living as a different gender than the sex they were born would be allowed to use the bathroom that corresponds with their perceived gender.
This bill was unnecessary and discriminatory.
Some situations may arise involving whether a person should be using a particular restroom, but the rate is infrequent. Transgender Mainers and visitors to the state use restrooms of their choice every day without any issues or objections.
The Maine Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation, and it should in all cases. Allowing bills like this to chip away at a person’s civil rights could lead to more discriminatory statutes being passed and written into Maine law.
We’re pleased Maine representatives have voted for the people and their rights and hope that they will continue to protect the rights of all Mainers in future legislative sessions.
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