The state of Massachusetts is expected to soon push legislation providing greater protections to reproductive health clinics following the Supreme Court’s ruling in McCullen v. Coakley.
According to the Associated Press, the Massachusetts state legislature expects to file a bill this week that would provide greater protections for abortion clinics despite the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the state’s law that created a 35-foot-buffer zone around reproductive health clinics last month. The buffer zone law, created after the 1994 murders of two individuals at separate clinics in Brookline, Massachusetts by anti-choice extremist John Salvi, was meant to reduce the harassment, intimidation, and violence which had previously taken place outside of the state’s abortion clinics and curb anti-choice extremists’ access to women seeking reproductive health care.
In the days following the Supreme Court’s decision, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley tweeted, “#SCOTUS may not like our buffer zone but our commitment to protect women’s healthcare access remains.” Now, Coakley, Governor Deval Patrick, other lawmakers, and local women’s rights groups have all signaled their support for a bill that would respect the free speech rights of protesters while at the same time strengthening existing laws that provide for the safety of clinic workers and patients as they enter reproductive health care facilities.
Speaking to hundreds of people gathered at the Supreme Rally in Boston last week, Gov. Patrick petitioned supporters to get involved in the push to draft new legislation. “Come make a claim on your government and tell your stories,” he said, “above all, because we have to build the record that will sustain the legislation I believe we can move and get enacted before the session ends at the end of this month.”
Anti-abortion groups have threatened more legal action if the state moves forward with a new law. Attorney General Coakley envisions greater police power to break up crowds, although few details of the proposed bill have been disclosed.
Media Resources: Associated Press 7/13/14; Feminist Newswire 6/26/14; Twitter 7/2/14; Boston Globe 7/9/14
