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The Democratic Governor of Maine signed a bill on abortion Monday allowing non-medical health professionals to perform the operation.
Governor Janet Mills signed the bill expanding access to abortion that she introduced herself. It will officially come into force 90 days after the adjournment of the legislature, around the month of September.
THE ONLY MISSOURI ABORTEMENT CLINIC MAY REMAIN OPEN FOR THE MOMENT
Governor Janet Mills delivers her State of the Budget Address to the Legislative Assembly on Monday, February 11, 2019, at the State House in Augusta, Maine.
(AP Photo / Robert F. Bukaty)
But the law is criticized for expanding the list of professionals who can perform an abortion. Critics say this could potentially make the procedure less safe.
"Expanding who is allowed to perform an abortion does not increase the safety of the procedure," said Republican Senator Stacey Guerin.
"Expanding who is allowed to perform an abortion does not increase the safety of the procedure."
Carroll Conley, executive director of the Maine Christian Civic League, also echoed safety concerns and told the New York Times that it was unclear whether nurses and other health care professionals would receive training. sufficient to administer abortion when the law enters into force.
She added that the legislation was more about politics, as there was no evidence that women in Maine were having difficulty getting abortions because of proximity.
In most states, only doctors perform abortions, but Maine is now ready to allow licensed practical nurses, medical assistants and registered midwifery nurses to provide abortion drugs and to provide abortions. perform abortions in the clinic.
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Maine will be the second state after California with a law allowing non-physicians to perform abortions in the clinic, according to Maine's Office of Policy and Legal Analysis. Nearly two dozen states, including Vermont and New Hampshire, have expanded their list of drug providers for abortion as a result of court or agency rulings.
Proponents of the bill claim that abortion is one of the safest medical procedures and that the restrictions on who can perform the procedure are obsolete.
"The states of the country, including Vermont and New Hampshire, have already removed this obsolete restriction on abortion-related care," said Sara Gideon, Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives. "This legislation will allow women to receive the care they need from a provider they trust and to remove the financial and logistical hurdles they face today."
The law in Maine comes after other states led by the Democrats decided to protect or expand access to abortion after a series of measures favorable to life in the United States. Red states, especially in Alabama, where abortion was banned after six weeks.
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"Maine is championing women's rights and taking a step toward equal access to care while other states seek to undermine, reduce or completely eliminate these services," said governor of the state.
The law also came about as a result of lawsuits by rights groups and an abortion clinic, which sued Maine because of restrictions placed on its abortion provider and the government. ban on Medicaid public funds for abortion.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
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