As a public health leader, I believe deeply that decisions about your body, your health, and your future belong to you, not politicians.
In a post-Roe world and at a time when Donald Trump and Republican leaders across the country are working to ban abortion outright, criminalize providers, and track women across state lines, Maine has chosen a different path. We have some of the strongest reproductive rights protections in the nation, including laws that ensure abortion remains legal and protected under state law.
But we cannot take that for granted. The same forces that overturned Roe v. Wade are actively looking for ways to reach into states like Maine, whether through federal action, interstate enforcement, and new forms of surveillance on women seeking abortions. In order to continue safeguarding reproductive freedom, we must be proactive, not reactive.
As Governor, I will defend and strengthen Maine’s protections, ensure access is truly available and not just theoretical, and make sure our state remains a place where people are free to make their own health care decisions without fear.
As Governor, I will:
- Enshrine Reproductive Freedom in Maine’s Constitution
- Ensure Cost is Never a Barrier to Care
- Strengthen Maine’s Shield Law to Further Protect Providers and Patients
- Protect Mainers from Surveillance and Data Tracking
- Ensure Patients Can Access Care Safely and Confidentially
- Protect Providers and Patients from Federal and Out-of-State Attacks
- Safeguard Medication Abortion Through a Strategic Mifepristone Stockpile
Enshrine Reproductive Freedom in Maine’s Constitution
Fundamental rights should not depend on who is in power. While Maine law protects abortion today, the only way to guarantee that protection for the long term is to enshrine it in our Constitution. As governor, I will:
- Support and work to pass a constitutional amendment to permanently protect the right to abortion in Maine
- Ensure that future generations of Mainers cannot have their rights rolled back by politicians
Ensure Cost is Never a Barrier to Care
In Maine, abortion is legal under 22 M.R.S. § 1598, and recent laws have expanded access to care later in pregnancy when medically necessary. But legality alone is not enough if care is out of reach for those who cannot afford it.
Right now, many health plans already collect a small monthly fee of about $1 per person and place it into a dedicated fund that can only be used to cover abortion care when federal dollars cannot. In some states, that fund has grown into millions of dollars that are not being fully used.
As Governor, I will make sure we use every available tool to lower the cost of care and expand access for those who need it most.
- Create a Maine-based fund, modeled on a new law in Maryland, that uses these existing dollars to help cover abortion care for low-income, uninsured, and underinsured Mainers
- Ensure this fund can also support people who cannot safely use their insurance, especially women in domestic violence situations who need confidentiality
- Work with providers and nonprofit partners to get funding directly to patients and clinics, so people can access care quickly and without unnecessary barriers
- Expand access to care across Maine, including in rural communities where providers are limited
In Maine, your ability to access care should never come down to what you can afford or where you live.
Strengthen Maine’s Shield Law to Further Protect Providers and Patients
Maine has already taken strong action to protect reproductive freedom, passing one of the strongest shield laws in the country in 2023. That law helps protect patients and providers from out-of-state prosecution for legally provided care.
But the threats are evolving. Across the country, anti-abortion politicians are working on new tactics, such as using data to track patient actions, further attempting to punish care across state lines, and exploring federal action to override our in-state protections.
If we want to keep Maine a safe place for care, we cannot stand still. We have to strengthen our laws to meet this moment.
As Governor, I will:
Close Loopholes and Expand Legal Protections
Right now, shield laws protect care provided in Maine, but we need to go further as attacks cross state lines. No one in Maine should be punished for accessing legal health care, no matter where it happens. Specifically, I will:
- Expand Maine’s shield law to include reciprocity protections, ensuring patients and providers are protected when care is legally provided in another state
- Build on models like Vermont’s new law, which extends protections across jurisdictions, to ensure Mainers are protected no matter where care occurs
- Strengthen Maine’s ability to reject out-of-state subpoenas, investigations, or enforcement actions targeting legally protected care
Protect Mainers from Surveillance and Data Tracking
In today’s world, attacks on reproductive freedom don’t just happen in legislatures, they are happening through data tracking. Right now, personal information can be bought, sold, and used to track people seeking care. Specifically, I will:
- Ban the use of geofencing around health care facilities, so no one can be digitally tracked while seeking care
- Prohibit the use of automatic license plate readers and similar tools to identify or target patients, building on laws like Illinois’s, which has already taken action in this area
- Strengthen protections against data brokers and tech companies selling sensitive health and location data without consent, following models like Nevada’s broader privacy laws
Ensure Patients Can Access Care Safely and Confidentially
Even when care is legal, some people cannot safely use their insurance or disclose their situation. As governor, I will:
- Strengthen protections so patients can access care confidentially, including those in situations involving domestic violence or personal safety risks
- Work with providers and insurers to ensure women have safe, private options for accessing care without fear of exposure
- Support systems that allow patients to seek care without triggering notifications or disclosures that could put them at risk
Protect Providers and Patients from Federal and Out-of-State Attacks
We must be prepared not just for today’s legal landscape but for what comes next. As governor, I will:
- Ensure Maine is ready to defend patients and providers against out-of-state and potential federal investigations targeting legally protected care
- Work with other states to build a coordinated legal defense against efforts to undermine reproductive freedom
- Continuously update Maine’s shield law to stay ahead of new legal threats
We will not allow politicians in other states, or in Washington, to reach into Maine and dictate what happens here.
Safeguard Medication Abortion Through a Strategic Mifepristone Stockpile
As outlined in my Safeguarding Maine Against Trump plan, Maine must be prepared for the real possibility that access to medication abortion could be restricted at the federal level. As Governor, I will:
- Establish a state-level stockpile of mifepristone by securing a multi-year supply and storing it within Maine’s borders to ensure continued access to medication abortion if federal approval is rescinded. With this safeguard in place, the medication will remain available for distribution under state law
- Ensure providers across the state can continue to access and dispense this medication without disruption
The Bottom Line
Maine has led on reproductive freedom, and under my leadership, we will continue to do so.
While Donald Trump and Republican leaders push to take rights away, we will protect them. While others try to criminalize care, we will expand access. And while others try to divide and control, we will trust women to make their own decisions. Access to reproductive care is about freedom, dignity, and respect and as Governor, I will never stop fighting to protect it.