Sen. Maxmin earns perfect score for voting record on reproductive rights
AUGUSTA – Sen. Chloe Maxmin, D-Nobleboro, earned a perfect score from Planned Parenthood Maine for votes to protect reproductive rights and improve access to health care. Sen. Maxmin is one of 21 senators to earn a perfect score for their 2021-2022 voting record.
“I’m so proud of everything my colleagues and I accomplished to protect reproductive rights and access to health care this year, including the bills we struck down that would have infringed on a person’s right to have an abortion,” said Sen. Maxmin. “If we want a just and equitable society, it’s critical that we give people the resources to make decisions for themselves, and that we support those decisions by increasing access to contraceptives and fertility, abortion and postpartum care. I’m grateful that Mainers will continue to be able to exercise their reproductive rights, no matter what happens on the federal level in the coming months.”
Planned Parenthood scored Maine legislators on their votes on nine bills, including six anti-abortion bills. This year, the Legislature passed a new law that requires state-regulated health insurance plans to cover contraceptives that best meet a patient’s health needs as determined by the patient and their trusted health care professional. Lawmakers also took action to better protect patients’ safety when accessing care.
In recent months, there have been an unprecedented number of attacks on abortion access around the country, including several states that have enacted near-total bans on abortion without exception for rape or incest. With the Supreme Court expected to repeal Roe v. Wade, as indicated in the leaked draft opinion last month, the responsibility to protect abortion access will fall to state legislatures. In Maine, Democratic lawmakers have blocked the passage of extreme anti-abortion laws, similar to laws that have already been adopted in other states. Every Democrat in the Maine Senate received a 100 percent score from Planned Parenthood.
Planned Parenthood provides reproductive and other health care services, including abortion care, immunizations and cancer screenings.
The complete Maine Senate legislative scorecard can be found here.