FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 18, 2023
Contact:
Jocelyn Foye, Executive Director
[email protected]
401-400-0061
Critical Vote Tonight on the Road to Truly Protecting Abortion Rights
It is time to make the right to abortion real for people who struggle to make ends meet by getting rid of bans on health coverage that push care out of reach!
[Providence, RI] – Statement from The Womxn Project on the upcoming Senate floor vote on the Equality in Abortion Coverage Act (S32) and the likely final passage and signing of the bill:
“The state policy taking away health coverage for abortion targets people living on low incomes and intentionally makes abortion unaffordable and inaccessible. It’s unconscionable and must end.
By dismantling economic barriers to accessing abortion care, the passage of the Equality in Abortion Coverage Act (S32) would be a critical step toward equity in health care access—and making sure every person can make healthcare decisions about pregnancy that are best for themselves and their families.
Even before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year abortion care was out of reach for many. Medicaid plays an essential role in providing health care coverage for people who experience elevated rates of poverty, under- and unemployment, and gaps in insurance coverage.
Bans on abortion coverage compound the barriers to care many people already face due to systemic discrimination and economic insecurity. This policy disproportionately impacts Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC), people working to make ends meet, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and young people.
Excluding abortion care from public insurance programs has taken away the right to abortion for far too many people for far too long. It’s long past time that we take care of this by getting rid of the harmful bans on abortion coverage.
We commend Senator Bridget Valverde for her leadership on this crucial bill and the 20 other senators who signed on to sponsor the legislation. We are thrilled to hear the rumors that Governor McKee is ready to sign this bill into law tonight. It is long overdue.”
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“The Womxn Project is proud to lead the campaign advancing this bill. We will be at the State House today to watch – and we hope to celebrate as the Senate passes this important bill and the governor signs it into law ending the harmful and discriminatory bans that have pushed the right to abortion out of reach for many Rhode Islanders for far too long.” Jocelyn Foye, Executive Director
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Jocelyn Foye is available for interview upon request.