In competing developments about reproductive rights in the nation’s largest state, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed a bill to expand birth control access while a judge struck down decades-old restrictions on who could perform abortions.
The Republican governor’s veto Wednesday stunned supporters of the measure, which would have forced insurance companies to cover up to a year’s supply of birth control at a time, something considered especially important in providing access in distant rural communities.
The bill overwhelmingly passed the state Legislature this year: 29-11 in the Republican-controlled House and 16-3 in the Senate, which has bipartisan leadership. It was not opposed by insurance companies, supporters noted.
But in an emailed statement, Dunleavy spokesperson Jeff Turner said he vetoed it because “contraceptives are widely available, and compelling insurance companies to provide mandatory coverage for a year is bad policy.”
Meanwhile Wednesday, Alaska Superior Court Judge Josie Garton found unconstitutional a state law that said only a doctor licensed by the State Medical Board can perform an abortion in Alaska. Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawaii, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky sued over the law in 2019, saying advanced practice clinicians — which include advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants — should also be allowed to perform medication or aspiration abortions.
Posted by John3262005