Vermont legislators hastily amend bills to protect abortion pill access
VTDigger
As a federal legal battle threatens to revoke the decades-old approval of a widely used abortion medication, Vermont lawmakers are making last-minute amendments to this year’s major abortion legislation to protect access to the pill within the state.
On Wednesday, legislators in both the House and Senate tacked on amendments to S.37 and H.89 — two bills known colloquially as abortion “shield” bills — to add protections to the medication mifepristone, even if its Food and Drug Administration approval is removed or restricted as a result of ongoing litigation.
The Senate gave final approval to H.89 in a voice vote Wednesday after advancing it by a 26-4 vote Tuesday.