East Bay legislators support Reproductive Privacy Act

Controversial vote had wide support among Democrats in the East Bay

By Kristen Ray
Posted 3/14/19

It was a narrow victory, but a victory nonetheless. After nearly five hours of deliberating one of their most hotly contested, divisive bills in quite some time, the Rhode Island General Assembly …

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East Bay legislators support Reproductive Privacy Act

Controversial vote had wide support among Democrats in the East Bay

Posted

It was a narrow victory, but a victory nonetheless. After nearly five hours of deliberating one of their most hotly contested, divisive bills in quite some time, the Rhode Island General Assembly voted 44-30 to pass the Reproductive Privacy Act on Thursday, March 7. If approved by the Senate and signed into state law by the governor, the bill would protect privacy rights and reproductive freedoms established in the Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade 46 years ago.

“I think it’s about time we do this,” advocated Rep. Susan Donovan of Bristol and Portsmouth (D-69).

More than two decades have passed since the topic of codifying Roe v. Wade’s landmark ruling into state law had last appeared on the House floor agenda. That quickly changed, however, with the appointment of conservative U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh last fall, prompting a renewed sense of urgency on discussing the matter from pro-choice advocates.

Fearing what an overturn in Roe v. Wade would mean for the women in Rhode Island based on how the state law currently stands, Rep. Anastasia Williams of Providence (D-9) formally introduced the RPA — cosponsored by Deputy Majority Whip Christopher Blazejewski of Providence (D-2), Evan Shanley of Warwick (D-24) and Karen Alzate (D-60) and Jean Philippe Barros (D-59), both of Pawtucket — earlier this year.

Instantly, the proposed legislation was met with controversy.

“Not only is this a complex moral issue — there’s no doubt about that — it’s an extraordinarily complex legal issue,” said Rep. Jason Knight of Barrington and Warren (D-67).

In the weeks leading up to Thursday’s vote, the arguments surrounding what the RPA would do, or not do, were at times venomous. While proponents of the bill affirmed time and time again that the act would simply provide women the same reproductive freedoms outlined in Roe v. Wade, objectors accused them of grossly expanding abortion rights.

“I think we’ve all been traumatized by that misinformation that was spread,” Ms. Donovan said.

A complex issue

Often debated as a black-and-white issue, determining the legality of abortion is actually, according to Rep. Knight’s view, a huge gray area.

“You almost have to be a Constitutional scholar to get all of it and understand it,” he said.

After spending the time to study all of the court cases that were involved in forming the Roe v. Wade decision and comparing them to the language outlined in the proposed RPA, however, Mr. Knight felt confident in voting favorably on Rep. Williams’ bill.

“It’s my firm opinion that the bill does exactly what it says it does, which is codify Roe v. Wade and put it into state law in a way that it’s not right now,” he said.

As passed on Thursday, the RPA bans:

  • Partial-birth abortion;
  • Abortion after fetal viability (unless a medical professional deems it “necessary to preserve the health or life of that individual”—in which case, Rep. Donovan said, every effort would be made to save both mother and child);
  • The use of Medicaid to pay for an abortion.

It also prevents the state and its related parties from interfering with a woman’s decision and/or access to:

  • Terminate a pregnancy prior to fetal viability;
  • Terminate a pregnancy after fetal viability “when necessary to preserve the health or life of that individual”;
  • Use of evidence-based, medically-recognized methods in line with current federal and state statutes in order to perform an abortion.

Like her colleague, Rep. Donovan also felt strongly about passing the bill, believing it is important to leave the conversation between a woman and her doctor.

“None of us are pro-abortion; we’re pro-choice,” she said. “We’re not here to judge women for the decisions they make.”

She and Rep. Knight were two of six East Bay legislators who ultimately voted in favor of the bill that night; joining them were representatives Liana Cassar of Barrington and East Providence (D-66), John Edwards of Portsmouth and Tiverton (D-70), Dennis Canario of Portsmouth, Tiverton and Little Compton (D-71) and Terri Cortvriend of Portsmouth (D-72). The only local representative to vote against the bill was Rep. Kenneth Marshall of Bristol and Warren (I-68), whose seat in the General Assembly has since been turned over to Democrat and newly-elected Rep. June Speakman.

Moving forward, the RPA — supported by the Coalition for Reproductive Freedom — will next head to the Senate, where it will be discussed and deliberated.

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