Committee votes don’t take place without the blessing of legislative leaders. So it appears House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello (who personally opposes abortion) has decided to tacitly support codifying abortion rights, rather than letting the topic persist as a divisive issue.
However, legislative sources say the 15-member Judiciary Committee remains closely divided in the run-up to the vote.
Kelly Nevins, executive director of the Women’s Fund of RI, and part of a coalition of abortion-rights supporters, believes the changing makeup of the legislature is also a factor.
“We had real movement in our legislature with newly elected folks, who were elected, frankly, many of them, because of their support for making sure that Roe vs. Wade would remain the rule of the land here in Rhode Island,” Nevins said.
Meanwhile, opponents of abortion-rights – including Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas Tobin, state Republican Chairman Brandon Bell and the advocacy group Rhode Island Right to Life — are among those urging opposition to the revised abortion bill introduced by Rep. Anastia Williams (D-Providence).
Mike Stenhouse, CEO of the conservative group Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity, used a video to dispute the intent of the legislation.
“This is not about the simple codification about most people understand it of Roe vs. Wade,” Stenhouse said. “This bill is a question about restricted versus unrestricted abortions.”
Supporters say the revised abortion bill maintains an existing federal ban on so-called partial birth abortions. They say the legislation also bans late-term abortions except when necessary for the health or life of the mother.
One lawmaker backing the Williams bill, Rep. Jack Lyle (R-Lincoln), explained his thinking in a statement Monday.
“As a Republican, I believe in the values of individual autonomy and freedom,” Lyle said. “The rhetoric from leaders of the Rhode Island Republican Party, including Chairman Brandon Bell and former Governor Donald Carcieri, is unacceptable. Building on the false assertions of organizations opposed to safe, legal abortion, too many of my fellow Republicans are making empty claims that these bills go beyond the current parameters of safe, legal abortion in a cynical attempt to manipulate public opinion through fear-mongering and dishonesty.”
Bell fired back, accusing Lyle of “succeeding Lincoln Chafee as the Republican who the RI left-wingers love the most. Btw, I know everything I said was factually accurate.”
This report has been updated.
