In the middle of a week filled with significant progress toward the rights to reproductive freedom, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy struck down a bill meant to make birth control more widely accessible. At the same time, an Alaskan court overturned a long-standing prohibition on who could perform abortions, highlighting changing trends in reproductive health rights in Alaska.
Dunleavy’s rejection of the measure surprised supporters because it had passed the state House and Senate with overwhelming support. The law would have required insurance companies to pay for up to a year’s supply of birth control, which is necessary in Alaska’s rural communities. Proponents contended that it was essential for rural areas with limited access to healthcare. However, according to the Governor’s office, contraceptives are widely available, and requiring coverage for the entire year is a bad idea.
Although Representative Ashley Carrick, the bill’s Democratic sponsor, felt disappointed by the Governor’s decision, advocates for reproductive rights achieved another victory. Alaska Superior Court Judge Josie Garton declared a long-standing statute that restricted abortion services to licensed doctors illegal.
In his decision, Judge Garton noted that the restriction of abortion operations to physicians would unduly burden patients, especially those living in rural areas. She concluded that the law disproportionately affected people with low incomes and limited access to transportation, which made them travel to larger cities or endure weeks of waiting for care. Garton highlighted that there is no medical reason to control abortion more severely than other forms of reproductive healthcare, but the state is still examining the decision. These two events show the continuous conflict over Alaska’s reproductive health rights.
This news story was originally published by AP News.
