Abortion in Portland Maine Now Facing New Restrictions and Big Changes

    PORTLAND, ME, February 12, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The Portland, Maine, metropolitan area is the largest in the state with the greatest number of abortion providers. These abortion providers will now have to keep up with the many changes in abortion laws and regulations.

Under the Trump administration there were numerous new restrictions placed on abortion procedures, funding, and availability. Now the Biden administration is quickly eliminating those restrictions.

As a result, many state legislatures are passing new more restrictive laws, while others are greatly expanding theirs. With new legislative sessions just beginning, what impact will this have in the State of Maine, especially abortion in the Portland, Maine metropolitan area?

With Governor Mills more than willing to sign abortion expansion laws and a Democratic controlled legislature, will Maine follow suit with other northeastern states and expand abortion even more in Maine? Massachusetts and New York recently legalized abortion in the third trimester (from 6 to 9 months) under certain restrictions. Will Maine follow their lead?

The Maine legislature greatly expanded abortion access and funding in 2019 spearheaded by House Speaker Sara Gideon. There were several new laws which guaranteed both private and public insurance coverage for abortion, resulting in the use of state tax dollars, and dropped the requirement that only physicians could perform an abortion, among other expansions.

The fly in the ointment, however, for Maine's abortion supporters is the fact that Sara Gideon, who was strongly favored to win, was soundly defeated by incumbent Susan Collins by 51% to 42% in the 2020 U.S. Senate race. Over $185 million was spent on this race, with Gideon outspending Collins by a considerable margin.

Gideon based her campaign on her liberal abortion views, her sponsorship of abortion bills, and support by abortion rights organizations. Collins on the other hand takes a more moderate position on these issues and voted for all of President Trump's Supreme Court nominees, which Gideon attempted to use against her to no avail.

The question then becomes, will these new legislators be as quick to get behind more abortion expansion in Maine? Or will they have second thoughts? https://www.teenbreaks.com/abortion/abortion-portland-me/

Meanwhile, what has been referred to as an "unprecedented" number of anti-abortion bill titles have been submitted for the new legislative session. These include prohibiting the use of tax- payer dollars for elective abortions, informing patients of alternatives to abortion and assistance available, protecting infants born alive following a late term abortion, and creating a Maine Foster Care and Adoption Initiative Fund.

Which way will Maine go now, and what effect will it have on abortion in Portland, Maine?

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