The Massachusetts State Senate joined the State House of Representatives in passing legislation that enshrines new abortion rights in state law. The move by the two chambers overrode the Governor’s veto of the measure the week before.
The Roe Act, as it’s called, will allow abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy in cases of a fatal fetal anomaly and in instances when a physician deems it necessary “to preserve the patient’s physical or mental health”. It also lowers the age at which someone can seek an abortion without the consent of a parent or a judge from 18 to 16, and removes the requirement to wait for 24 hours between requesting an abortion and being able to have it.
SOURCE: National Public Radio, by Vanessa Romo, 29 December 2020 ; VISUAL