Maddie Kolaja: Granite Staters should support the Access to Abortion Care Act

To The Daily Sun,

Granite Staters who care about bodily autonomy and access to reproductive health care should be deeply concerned by Gov. Sununu’s complete disregard for his constituents' reproductive rights. It is enraging to hear Gov. Sununu say that he is “not really paying attention” to the Supreme Court cases that could overturn Roe v. Wade and dismantle critical abortion access across the country.

By June, 26 states could lose access to safe, legal abortion. Cruel abortion bans are already causing hardships for families and communities throughout the country. In Texas, abortion is banned at six weeks, forcing abortion patients to travel out of state for care, at great personal cost, or carry a pregnancy to term against their will.

In New Hampshire, Gov. Sununu’s abortion ban took effect on Jan. 1, 2022, banning abortion at or after 24 weeks gestation, criminalizing doctors, and mandating ultrasounds before any abortion procedure. Granite Staters deserve better than this harmful, politically-motivated abortion ban. It is critical that reproductive rights are protected in NH and the Granite State does not follow in Texas' footsteps.

The Access to Abortion Care Act would put abortion rights into statute in NH, regardless of what happens in the U.S. Supreme Court. This bill does not change any current NH abortion laws; it does, however, provide critical protections to ensure that Granite State women and families can work with their doctors to get the health care they need right here at home.

Everyone should all be paying attention right now — to what’s happening at the Supreme Court, in Texas, and most importantly, in NH. Contact Sen. Harold French at 603-271-8631 today and urge him to repeal Gov. Sununu’s abortion ban and pass the Access to Abortion Care Act.

Maddie Kolaja

Meredith