In a surprising move diverging from party lines, several Democratic lawmakers in Massachusetts voted against a controversial new law that legalizes abortion up until birth.
Governor Maura Healey, a Democrat, enacted the Prioritizing Patient Access to Care Act on August 10 after it sailed through the State House with a 119-33 vote. This legislation grants broad latitude for abortions throughout pregnancy, effectively nullifying the state’s previous 24-week restriction that included exceptions for the mother’s life and terminal fetal diagnoses. The decision on whether to carry out a late-term abortion now rests with the attending medical professionals.
Celebratory cheers echoed as Governor Healey signed the bill, surrounded by an enthusiastic group of supporters. This enactment places Massachusetts alongside states such as Alaska, Vermont, Oregon, New Mexico, and several others in allowing unrestricted abortions up until birth.
When the vote was cast, nine state House Democrats found themselves siding with their Republican peers. In interviews with Fox News Digital, these dissenting Democrats expressed their concerns, indicating that the law both challenges legal standards and clashes with the views held by many of their constituents.
“This new law represents an extremist and dangerous position,” remarked State Representative Jeffrey Turco of Winthrop. “To be clear, it allows abortion anytime, unrestricted, and in many cases, publicly funded until the moment of birth.”
Turco said the legislation was “rushed through the legislative process in two weeks, without an opportunity for the public to weigh in,” and was “out of step with the views of the average person in Massachusetts.” He called the new law “barbaric.”
State Rep. Chris Markey of Dartmouth told the outlet he is “deeply disappointed” by the passage of the bill and said it “creates a very slippery slope.”
“I believe this law puts doctors in a very difficult ethical dilemma, as well as conflicts with long-standing criminal case law. This law, I believe, is not consistent with the beliefs of the vast majority of my constituents. While many are pro-choice, you can still be pro-choice and see this law as going beyond the norms of acceptability,” Markey said.
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State Rep. Dennis Gallagher, a Democrat representing the 8th Plymouth District, said that while he believes abortion should be between a woman and her doctor, there should be more emphasis on alternatives to abortion late in pregnancy, like adoption, when the mother’s health is not in danger. He pointed out that the previous state law already allowed abortions after 24 weeks in cases where the health of the mother is at risk or there are several fetal anomalies.
“At that point in a pregnancy, if the health of the mother is fine and the baby’s health is fine, I just think alternatives should be encouraged for that baby,” he said. “So that’s what I struggled with. But it should always be between a woman and their doctor.”
State Rep. Alan Silvia, who is a pro-life Democrat from Bristol, told the outlet his colleagues are more preoccupied with protecting endangered wildlife than human beings in the womb.
“My position has been consistent: I believe in protecting human life, including the life of the unborn,” Silvia said. “We go to extraordinary lengths as a society to protect vulnerable life, saving whales and saving strays, yet when it comes to an unborn child, that same sense of protection too often seems to disappear.”
Silvia added that he opposes abortion, especially in the later stages of pregnancy, and “will continue to stand by my convictions and vote accordingly.”
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for – News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.