Contact:
Jocelyn Foye, Director
[email protected]
w. 401-400-0061
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Monday, June 27, 2022
The Womxn Project Urges McKee to Take Action to Truly Protect Abortion Rights & Access
The time is now to enact every policy possible to protect and expand access to care, including halting state bans on health coverage and making sure people can safely obtain abortions in RI.
[Providence, RI] – Statement from The Womxn Project calls on Governor McKee to get abortion bans out of the state budget and do more to affirm and protect abortion rights and access in our state:
“Governor Daniel McKee has made public statements about his support for the right to abortion, but now more than ever we need more than pretty words. We need – and we demand – actions. Governor McKee, it is not enough to say you protect our rights. We need you to do something about it. Rhode Island voters are done waiting for our elected officials to take action. We are speaking out and showing up – and we will keep showing up at community events and the ballot box to demand a real commitment to reproductive health, rights and justice.
OUR DEMANDS
- BUDGET: Get abortion bans out of the FY 2023 budget. Do not sign and move a budget for the coming year that includes denial of insurance benefits for abortion for state employees and people who use Medicaid.
- EXECUTIVE ORDER:
- A federal bill is being proposed that would exclude employers from receiving tax breaks if they provide abortion access or support to their employees. We must affirm that in our state that employers will NOT be punished for helping to ensure access to abortion care.
- Rhode Island must prohibit any executive department, agency, law enforcement official or public hospital employee from assisting another state’s investigation as it relates to abortion.
- Rhode Island prohibits arrest based on civil detainer from another state solely for charges related to abortion. No personal information will be shared with other states for investigations.
- We must also protect Rhode Island providers who deliver abortion services from losing their professional licenses as the result of an out-of-state charge.
- We should also allow anyone who is sued for receiving, performing or providing support for abortions in other states to countersue for damages and other costs.
- Rhode Island is restricted from extraditing someone for providing or supporting access to abortion. We should not participate in the criminalization of someone who did something in Rhode Island that leads to a crime in another state if what they did is legal in Rhode Island and ABORTION IS LEGAL IN OUR STATE – and will remain so!
- HEALTH DEPARTMENT GUIDANCE: The governor should direct the health department and other agencies to look into ways to expand provision of abortion, including allowing for additional health professionals to provide care. It is time for the public health community to reaffirm that (Physician Assistant) PAs, (Nurse Professionals) NPs, and (Certified Nurse Midwives) CNMs are capable and qualified to provide abortion care services.
We need to send a clear message that Rhode Island will continue to be a safe haven for anyone seeking abortion care. It is not enough to say we protected the right if we do not ensure access – and we will NOT abandon people in other states or the people who support folks in finding care they need.
The Womxn Project will be joined by activists from across the state today at the Rhode Island State House for the signing of the FY 23 budget. We are there to make it clear to Governor McKee that we are not going to wait around for real change and a true commitment to our rights.”
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Jocelyn Foye available for interview upon request.