The Joint Committee on Public Health will hear a bill next week to lower the age of consent for abortion and to allow abortions without parental consent. Even if you cannot attend, you can influence the Committee vote.

Hearing on Tuesday, July 11, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm in Room A-2

S.754, “An Act safeguarding the health care decisions of young adults,” would lower the age of consent to 16. That means a 16-year-old girl could get an abortion without her parents even knowing. We have defeated this bill in every session for many years. They say it is what gave Mitt Romney the governorship. In a TV debate just before the election, his opponent, Shannon O’Brien, endorsed lowering the age. It was very unpopular then and it is very unpopular now. 

S.754 also adds a new wrinkle that we haven’t seen before. It would allow “emergency” abortions without parental consent. If a girl’s life is threatened and can only be saved by an abortion (doesn’t happen, but…) then I am sure the medical people would go ahead. This seems to be a ploy to chip away at our parental consent law. 

If you are able to attend the hearings, please plan to testify. You can find tips for testifying HERE.  

If you are not able to attend, you can still be very effective in stopping this legislation! If you are a constituent of a member of the committee, please call your own legislator. (If you need to a reminder of your legislators, clickHERE.) If none of these committee members represent you, then call the two Chairs. Please call between now and Tuesday morning to express your opposition to both parts of the bill. 

You may notice that some of the legislators have the same phone numbers – the State House is small. When the phone is answered, ask for the Chief of Staff of your legislator. If that person is not available, ask for theLegislative Director 

Do these committee members look familiar to you? They should. This is the same committee we have been lobbying on the doctor-prescribed suicide issue. It’s a separate issue; it just means this is an important committee 

SENATE

Chair, Jason Lewis, 617-722-1206 

Jennifer Flanagan, 617-722-1230 

Julian Cyr, 617-722-1570 

Joan Lovely, 617-722-1410 

Richard Ross, 617-722-1555 

HOUSE

Chair, Kate Hogan, 617-722-2130 

Evandro Carvalho, 617-722-2396 

Linda Dean Campbell, 617-722-2380 

Paul Schmid, 617-722-2017 

Mary Keefe, 617-722-2210 

Brendan Crighton, 617-722-2013 

Jack Lewis, 617-722-2460 

Chynah Tyler, 617-722- 2130 

Hannah Kane, 617-722-2430 

Jim Lyons, 617-722-2460