Maine Democrats passed a bill on Friday that would protect doctors who provide abortions and so-called “gender-affirming” care to minors from facing lawsuits.
According to a report from Fox News, the bill, L.D. 227, protects anyone offering or aiding medical services that are illegal in other states, such as abortion and irreversible sex reassignment surgery (via Fox News):
Maine's LD 227 is part of a broader effort nationwide by blue state lawmakers to shield medical providers performing abortions or transgender surgical procedures on minors who do not have full parental support. More than a dozen states have shield laws in place protecting abortion providers from out-of-state investigations where abortion is illegal.
It would also prohibit "interference" with abortion or sex change procedures, legally protect medical workers from facing lawsuits and could potentially permit concealment of medical records from plaintiffs seeking legal action against a provider.
Predictably, left-wing organizations like Planned Parenthood support the measure.
“Full spectrum reproductive health care and gender-affirming health care are essential, lifesaving services that are safe and legal in Maine. With LD 227, our elected leaders have an opportunity to stand up for safe, legal medical care by protecting providers who offer that care and the patients who seek it,” Lisa Margulies, the vice president of public affairs for Planned Parenthood Maine Action fund said in a statement.
“Since Dobbs, we have seen escalating attacks on abortion care and essential medical care for transgender people by extremists who are desperate to interfere with our personal medical decisions, with many state legislatures banning this basic, essential care. Maine is not immune to the disingenuous and harmful rhetoric spread by extremists opposed to people accessing safe, legal medical care, and it is critical that our lawmakers listen to the facts and act to protect providers, patients, and people who help patients access this care,” Margulies added.
Fox noted that Democratic Gov. Janet Mills is expected to sign the bill into law.
In recent years, many states have enacted legislation restricting minors’ access to irreversible transgender care. In addition, after Dobbs, many states enacted life-affirming measures to protect the unborn.