Following the passage of legislation expanding late-term abortion in Massachusetts and Governor Maura Healey's signing of the bill into law on August 10, Massachusetts Citizens for Life has launched a statewide legislator accountability campaign with the participation of its supporters and members of the public, including those who consider themselves “pro-choice.”

The “Hold Them Accountable for Abortion Up to Birth” campaign seeks to identify where Massachusetts legislators and candidates for the Massachusetts Legislature stand ahead of the November 3 election on two issues: restoring legal protections for viable unborn babies and ensuring state funding for abortion alternatives that provide vulnerable women with additional options.

“Given that every legislator on Beacon Hill is up for reelection, we want to hold them accountable,” said Myrna Maloney Flynn, president of Massachusetts Citizens for Life. “Most people think abortion-up-to-birth is gruesome, and that state leaders went too far. Our initiative allows any Massachusetts resident to demand more from those they elect.”

“Our accountability campaign is not simply an outcry over Governor Healey’s reckless signature. It’s a search for answers from state leaders, a statewide effort to find out where every legislator and candidate stands before residents cast ballots on November 3,” Flynn added.

The campaign also seeks to address the lack of an individual Senate roll-call record on final passage of the legislation.

“Cowardly state senators don’t want anyone to know they approved abortion-up-to-birth, or hid from the vote itself, which is why their votes have not been made public,” Flynn said. “But they cannot hide from their constituents, who put them in office in the first place. MCFL is working on behalf of voters, demanding the truth before they return legislators to Beacon Hill this November.”

Flynn also pointed to the House vote, saying, “Similarly, we have a right to hear from the 119 state representatives who voted to send women away from hospitals to undergo days-long, complex, dangerous induction abortions.”

A resource beyond the election

The record developed through the campaign will serve as a resource for future legislative efforts, helping MCFL and its supporters identify where support exists and where additional advocacy is needed for legislation protecting viable unborn babies and expanding alternatives to abortion for vulnerable women.

The campaign is part of MCFL’s broader response to the new abortion law. MCFL has also launched resources offering information and support to women considering abortion later in pregnancy.

More information about the accountability campaign is available at masscitizensforlife.org/accountable.