Montana Republicans led by Representative Jane Gillette are seeking to bar the Affordable Care Act plans covering abortion in the state through a bill passed last Friday, Jan. 29.
A report from Montana Public Radio cited the Republicans from the said state are "adding another bill to the slew they're bringing" in that restricts access to abortion.
Together with House Bill 167, 140, 171, and 136, the Montana Legislative Branch has ushered in House Bill 229 to prevent health insurance coverage for abortion except when the life of the mother is in danger. This excludes abortion coverage for victims of rape and incest, the Montana Public Radio said.
As per Montana Public Radio, House Bill 167 requires doctors to care for infants born alive after an abortion, House bill 140 requires providers to provide an ultrasound to pregnant women prior to an abortion, House Bill 171 restricts access to abortion medications, and House Bill 136 prevents abortions for 20 weeks of pregnancy and beyond.
The Montana House Judiciary Committee, Montana Public Radio added, has already heard and endorsed Bill 229 on a party-line vote.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported that all Republicans voted in favor of the bill while all Democrats opposed it ending with a 12-7 tally with the goal to protect tax payer money use for abortion. Democrats oppose the bill since it would make it difficult for low-income families in the state to have access to abortion.
"This bill helps protect the conscience of individuals who do not wish to contribute to funding abortion," Montana Catholic Conference Director Matt Brower told the Associated Press.
He added that government subsidized insurance plans that include abortion coverage "forces taxpayers to contribute to ending the lives of unborn children".
"There's currently, in the United States, 34 states that do not include abortion coverage, and so Montana is actually an outlier," Gillette told Montana Public Radio. She also said that Montana has at least one abortion health coverage available.
A similar bill was passed in 2011 but was not approved by then Governor Brian Schweitzer who was a Democrat. Now that the state has a Republican Governor, Greg Gianforte, there is much hope the said bill will come into law.
The Associated Press highlighted in its report that Gianforte, the first Republican Governor of Montana in 16 years, has already given his go signal to support imposing restrictions in the state for access to abortion and have signified his intentions to approve at least two of the "bills already advanced by the Montana House in the first month of the legislative session".
Democrat Representative Robert Farris-Olsen raised that the bill does not provide equal reproductive health care to men and women as it denies the latter access to abortion.
"I just have a fundamental problem with the state paying for my reproductive health, but not paying for women's reproductive health based essentially on our sex or gender," told Montana Public Radio in its report.
Nevertheless, the bill will move for debate onto the full House of Representatives, Montana Public Radio added.
