AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine's first female governor vowed Tuesday to fight back against efforts nationwide to make it harder for women to access reproductive health services, including abortion.
Democratic Gov. Janet Mills spoke at a press conference led by Planned Parenthood's Maine lobbying arm. She spoke alongside other Democratic leaders marking the 46th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion.
"Forces that would undermine or roll back or outright eliminate your right to use birth control or obtain a safe, legal abortion are more powerful today than they have been in decades," Mills said.
The governor said she opposes such efforts by the Trump administration, which has proposed to bar taxpayer-funded family planning clinics from referring women for abortion. Mills said the addition of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh poses a "serious" risk to access to abortion.
"The states are now the backstop to prevent the erosion of reproductive rights," Mills said.
At least two Maine bills sponsored by Republican lawmakers aim to restrict abortion after the detection of a fetal heartbeat.
Democrats with newfound control over the Legislature are proposing to require coverage of abortion in public and private insurance plans that cover prenatal care. Other bills include allowing other over-the-counter medications to be sold in vending machines.
The ACLU of Maine and Maine health providers sued in 2015 to require state Medicaid funding for abortion.
Mills' spokeswoman Lindsay Crete said that the governor is awaiting the court's decision and will then review if legislation is needed.
