A Rhode Island Democrat criticized her fellow lawmakers for forcing taxpayers to fund abortions this week, calling the new law an “unconstitutional power grab” that violates religious freedom.
State Rep. Charlene Lima, D-Cranston, voted against the new pro-abortion law in April even though she said she supports legalized abortion. After Gov. Dan McKee signed the legislation last week, Lima spoke out again, saying forcing taxpayers to fund abortions is wrong, WLNE News 6 reports.
“I don’t believe it’s constitutional for them to be forced under the Religious Freedom Act, under the Rode Island Constitution, that they must be forced to use their taxpayer dollars to pay for something they’re fundamentally against,” Lima said. “We need to protect people’s rights under the constitution.”
State Senate Bill 32 repeals a ban on taxpayer funding for elective abortions and forces taxpayers to pay for unborn babies to be aborted for any reason through the state Medicaid program and government employee health insurance plans.
Ignoring wide-spread public opposition, McKee rushed to sign the radical pro-abortion law just hours after it passed the state Senate. Both Republicans and Democrats opposed the bill, as did many voters. Polls consistently show Americans oppose taxpayer funding for elective abortions.
McKee issued a short statement saying he felt proud to sign the law. He also included $622,000 in his 2024 state budget proposal to pay for more unborn babies to be killed in abortions, NBC Boston reports.
This week, Lima said the law is an “unconstitutional power grab” and she asked state Attorney General Peter Neronha to halt its enforcement.
ACTION ALERT: To complain to the governor, Contact Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee.
Here’s more from WLNE:
She said she has yet to hear back from his office.
The Democrat said if he doesn’t take up the case, she wants the House speaker to ask for a Supreme Court advisory opinion on the constitutionality of the bill.
During the House debate in April, Lima said taxpayers should not be forced to pay for something that they believe is morally wrong, according to the Brown Daily Herald.
“People are taxed out,” she said. “They’re tired.”
The state should not “mandate taxpayers who, for personal reasons or religious reasons, do not agree with abortion to have to pay for it,” she continued. “It is so easy to spend money when it’s not yours. If the 50-something people on this floor want to pay for abortion … use your money, not the taxpayer’s money.”
Rhode Island reported 2,611 abortions in 2020, according to Centers for Disease Control data, but the new law likely will cause that number to increase.
Polls consistently show strong public opposition to taxpayer-funded abortions. A new Marist poll found 60 percent of Americans oppose using tax dollars to fund abortions in the U.S. Additionally, 78 percent oppose using tax dollars to fund abortions in other countries.
At the federal level, the Hyde and Helms Amendments prohibit federal taxpayer funding for elective abortions in Medicaid and overseas programs. However, states can force their residents to pay for abortions with state tax dollars and 16 currently do.
ACTION ALERT: To complain to the governor, Contact Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee.
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