Massachusetts Expands Late-Term Abortion Access

Massachusetts has expanded late-term abortion access, loosening restrictions in cases of severe or lethal fetal abnormalities or if the pregnant person’s life is at risk. The law will allow providers to perform abortions after the previous cutoff of 24 weeks when it is necessary to save the pregnant person’s life. Most abortions still happen within the first trimester. During Monday’s bill signing, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, a Democrat, said, “We believe that health care decisions should be made between women and families and their doctors, not politicians. … Mothers and fathers and families who experience these devastating diagnoses — and they are devastating, heartbreaking — now they’ll be able to make their own choices.” Massachusetts becomes the 10th state, along with Washington, D.C., to allow an abortion at any point in pregnancy. www.democracynow.org