PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 1, 2024
As Women’s History Month begins, get on the right side of history and support L.D. 780 to codify reproductive autonomy for all Mainers in state law. When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, reproductive rights were limited across the U.S. Since the ruling, abortion has been banned or more restricted by 21 states. Since the Supreme Court ruling, Maine has enacted legislation to protect reproductive rights. Despite this, reproductive justice will continue to be vulnerable in Maine if not constitutionally protected. Reproductive and environmental justice go hand in hand, in the promotion of healthy human life today and for future generations. Extreme heat and air pollution, intensified by climate change, has been linked to poorer maternal health, higher rates of premature birth, low birth weight and stillbirths. Without codifying reproductive rights as human rights, climate change will make an already difficult reproductive issue much worse. ~ Jane Olsen, Brunswick, Bowdoin College senior