Governor signs abortion rights bill into law following House, Senate approval

PROVIDENCE — State lawmakers on Wednesday passed, and Gov. Gina Raimondo moments later signed into law, legislation to preserve “the status quo” on abortion in Rhode Island, no matter what the future holds for the historic Roe v. Wade ruling.

As defined in the new state law, the status quo means: abortions are allowed up until the point a fetus could live outside the womb. An abortion would only be allowed later “when necessary to preserve the health or life″ of the pregnant woman.

Inking her signature to what she called a “very important and consequential bill,″ Democrat Raimondo said: “Fundamentally, this bill is about health care. It’s about protecting and providing access to health care for all the women of Rhode Island.

“It’s a difficult issue and there are good and principled people on both sides of the issue,″ Raimondo said. “But in light of all the uncertainty in Washington, and frankly, around the country in many other states, there is great deal of anxiety that ... a woman’s right to access reproductive health care is in danger. ... The bill I am about to sign codifies Roe v. Wade. It preserves the status quo ... that has existed in this state for [close to] 50 years.”

Read more: https://www.newportri.com/news/20190619/governor-signs-abortion-rights-bill-into-law-following-house-senate-approval/1
(Newport Daily News)