UPDATED: Reproductive Health Care Act Goes Down in RI Senate Judiciary -- See Video

UPDATED: Reproductive Health Care Act Goes Down in RI Senate Judiciary -- See Video

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted down the Senate version of the Reproductive Health Care Act on Tuesday.

After Senator Stephen Archambault changed the dynamics of the politics on the committee on Monday, when he blasted the sponsors of the legislation — and drafted his own — the votes lined up 4-5 to vote down Senate Bill No. 152 Sub A, which was introduced by Senator Gayle Goldin. 

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Voting against the measure were Senators Archambault, Harold Metts, Frank Lombardi, Leo Raptakis, and Jessica De La Cruz.

Senators Dawn Euer, Mark McKenney, Cynthia Armour Coyne, and Senator Erin Lynch Prata voted for the measure.
The House version of the RHCA had previoulsy been held by a vote of 7-2.
 

Senators on the Record
“It is unfortunate the debate around this legislation — use of the words pro-life and pro-choice distract from a more robust debate. Pro-choice does not mean pro-abortion and it is unfortunate people equate the two synonymously,” said Armour Coyne.  “This bill protects the status quo and women’s right to choose.”
Metts cited Bible passages in opposing the measure.

“For me this is biblical, spiritual, and ethical,” said Metts. “I’ll be voting in opposition to both these bills.”

“Women are not deranged murderers who would carry fetus 8 or 9 months and decide to commit infanticide, contrary to the rhetoric,” said Euer, a bill supporter. “We’ve heard many stories from women who chose to have an abortion — and I carry those stories with me today. Prior to Roe v Wade, women died…and we can’t hear their stories.”

Lombardi and Jessica De La Cruz in voting no, in their remarks, said that they believed the legislation went beyond codifying Roe V. Wade.

“I am personally against abortion,” said McKenney in voting for the measure. “I am a Senator though and I represent a diverse population…and I seek to represent my constituents the best I can.”

“I’d like to see the status continue — which we have — because we have not had one challenge that would undermine our current law,” said Raptakis in opposition.  “We have to be honest with ourselves. I don’t know why there is a rush.”

“We’re listening to chants in the hallway now, we’ve seen people camping outside of various offices,” said Lynch Prata. “Reasonable minds can differ. That’s the purpose of the process — that’s why we listened to 13 hours of testimony until 6:15 in the morning several weeks ago. This issue is not going away.”

“We did work on this bill and we worked on it tirelessly. There’s a clear feeling among people this was all or nothing — one of things that bothers me more than anything, this was a bill amended in the House and sent to the Senate — we received a bill and were told vote it now no amendments,” said Lynch Prata. “That’s now how the process works. I don’t believe this issue will go away — we need to pass the right bill.”
 

House Responds
Representatives Anastasia Williams, Chris Blazejewski, Karen Alzate, Jean Philippe Barros and Evan Shanley issued the following statement following the vote. 

“We are very disappointed in this vote in the Senate.  As the House sponsors of the Reproductive Privacy Act, we worked hard to craft legislation strictly codifying in state law the rights guaranteed by the U.S. Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade. 

We commend the House's decision in March to bring the bill to a floor vote, where it passed overwhelmingly, 44-30, and are grateful to our fellow House colleagues for standing strong in protecting women’s freedom, privacy and reproductive health.  In the face of ever-increasing threats at the national level to women’s access to critical reproductive services, we urge the Senate Judiciary Committee to reconsider and bring the bill to the Senate floor for a vote of passage this year.”

RI Coalition for Reproductive Freedom issued the following statement on the Senate Judiciary Vote:

The Rhode Island Coalition for Reproductive Freedom is deeply disappointed in the outcome of the vote on the Reproductive Health Care Act (S152A) in committee this evening. With states around the country passing abortion bans intended to go to the Supreme Court, the urgency is real, and women's health care is in danger. We are equally disappointed to hear people that claim to be pro-choice parrot the language and buy into the false rhetoric that is being spread by opponents of reproductive health care.

This story was first published 5/14/19 6:03 PM