A year ago this month, the Supreme Court threw precedent to the wind by tossing out its landmark 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade. That reversal immediately prompted a wave of legislation in states around the country aimed at severely restricting, and in many cases effectively eliminating, abortion services.
Here in Massachusetts, though, the picture was very different. The ROE Act, which went on the books in 2020, guarantees the right to an abortion up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, and even later in certain cases.
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Still, after Roe's reversal, advocates here urged lawmakers to do a lot more to keep Massachusetts leading on reproductive rights. Now that one year has passed, has Beacon Hill heeded that call? And what might the future hold when it comes to abortion rights, in Massachusetts and across the country? Adam Reilly discusses with Renée Landers, a professor of Law at Suffolk University and the vice chair of the board for the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, and Rebecca Hart Holder, the executive director of the statewide advocacy group Reproductive Equity Now.
Are you satisfied with the state of abortion rights in Massachusetts? And if you've considered leaving the state, or have already left it, do or did the state's policies play in your thought process? Email us at TalkingPolitics@wgbh.orgor share them via the Talking Politics page.
You can watch the discussion below right now, or catch the full show at 7 p.m. on GBH 2. Subscribe to the GBH News’ YouTube channel to get alerted to future episodes.
