For decades, the abortion debate often centered on where to draw the line, with many Democrats supporting abortion rights while also accepting restrictions later in pregnancy.
But those boundaries have shifted considerably in parts of the Democratic Party since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. Now, a sweeping new abortion law in Massachusetts is exposing a significant divide even among Democrats in one of the nation’s most liberal states.
Democratic Gov. Maura Healey signed legislation Monday eliminating the state’s previous statutory gestational limits on abortion, prompting several members of her own party to break ranks and condemn the measure.
The Prioritizing Patient Access to Care Act removes restrictions that generally limited abortions after 24 weeks except under specified circumstances.
Under the new law, physicians have broader authority to determine when abortions later in pregnancy are medically appropriate and receive expanded legal protections from penalties that previously applied.
Critics argue the changes effectively eliminate a firm statutory gestational cutoff, potentially allowing abortions very late in pregnancy when a physician determines they are medically warranted.
That proved too far for some Massachusetts Democrats.
“This new law represents an extremist and dangerous position,” Democratic state Rep. Jeffrey Turco of Winthrop told Fox News.
“To be clear, it allows abortion anytime, unrestricted, and in many cases, publicly funded until the moment of birth,” Turco said.
He called the legislation “barbaric” and criticized lawmakers for moving it through the Legislature in roughly two weeks without sufficient opportunity for public input.
Turco also argued that the measure is “out of step with the views of the average person in Massachusetts.”
Democratic state Rep. Chris Markey of Dartmouth also opposed the legislation, raising concerns about how the changes could affect physicians and interact with existing state law.
“I am deeply disappointed in the passage of this bill. This bill creates a very slippery slope,” Markey said.
Markey argued that physicians could face difficult decisions when attempting to reconcile the law’s expanded protections with existing criminal case law.
“I believe this law puts doctors in a very difficult ethical dilemma, as well as conflicts with long-standing criminal case law,” he said.
Markey also said the legislation goes further than many voters in his district would support, even among those who consider themselves pro-choice.
“This law, I believe, is not consistent with the beliefs of the vast majority of my constituents,” he said.
“While many are pro-choice, you can still be pro-choice and see this law as going beyond the norms of acceptability.”
The legislation passed the Massachusetts House on July 22 by a 119-33 vote. Although Democrats overwhelmingly supported the measure, nine Democratic representatives joined Republicans in voting against it, an unusual split in the heavily Democratic Legislature.
Supporters contend the changes are necessary to protect women experiencing complicated pregnancies, including cases involving serious threats to a patient’s health or severe fetal diagnoses. They also argue that physicians, rather than lawmakers, are best positioned to make decisions involving complex medical circumstances.
Healey defended the legislation on similar grounds, arguing that deeply personal medical decisions should remain between patients and their doctors rather than being dictated by politicians.
Opponents counter that removing the previous gestational framework goes far beyond protecting abortion access and creates one of the nation’s broadest legal environments for the procedure.
The disagreement underscores a larger debate that has emerged within the Democratic Party since the fall of *Roe*. While Democratic leaders have increasingly sought to strengthen abortion protections at the state level, questions remain over whether there should be firm limits later in pregnancy.
Massachusetts provides a particularly striking example because the opposition is not coming exclusively from Republicans. Democratic lawmakers who otherwise support abortion rights are openly arguing that their party has gone too far.
The post Dems Balk After Massachussetts Gov Signs ‘Extreme’ Abortion Bill appeared first on Conservative Brief.
