On Tuesday, the Massachusetts State Senate voted to override Gov. Charlie Baker’s (R-Mass.) veto of the ROE Act (H.5179), codifying Roe v. Wade (1973) into state law and lowering the age of consent for abortion from 18 to 16. Baker vetoed the bill on Christmas Eve because it lowered the age of consent for abortion. The State House overrode his veto on Monday.
Baker, who is pro-choice, said he “strongly” supports a woman’s right to abortion. “However, I cannot support the sections of this proposal that expand the availability of later term abortions and permit minors age 16 and 17 to get an abortion without the consent of a parent or guardian,” the governor wrote in a letter to lawmakers.
The law eliminates the 24-hour waiting period for abortion, changes the judicial bypass process to make abortions more accessible to minors who cannot obtain parental consent, and allows abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy if the baby would not survive after birth. Baker said he supported these provisions. Read more…
