ANNAPOLIS, Maryland (LifeSiteNews) – After the Maryland legislature expanded abortion access, Republican Gov. Larry Hogan has said that he will not release funding early for a program to train midwives and other non-doctors to commit abortions.
Last month, Maryland Democrats overrode Gov. Larry Hogan’s veto on a bill allowing non-doctors to perform abortions, as reported by the Washington Post.
In response, Hogan has decided against an early release of $3.5 million set aside to train nurses, midwives, and other medical personnel to perform abortions, despite the requests of some Democrats. This essentially stalls the program for a year, until July 2023.
Maryland House Bill 937 further requires most private health insurance companies to cover the cost of abortions by removing co-pays.
This April, pro-abortion Republican Gov. Larry Hogan vetoed the bill, but the state legislature overrode that. The House voted 90-46 and the Senate voted 29-15.
Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot tweeted asking Hogan for the funds, “I am urging Governor Hogan to immediately release the $3.5 million restricted in the FY 2023 operating budget to provide funding for abortion care training programs.”
“With the Supreme Court expected to overturn Roe v. Wade within the next two months, we must move with urgent and deliberative speed to preserve the reproductive rights and freedom of women in Maryland,” he continued.
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The lead sponsor of Maryland’s abortion law, Del. Ariana B. Kelly (D-Montgomery), responded to the withholding of funds, saying, “There have been a lot of people who voted for people who did not share their values on choice, and they figured it wouldn’t matter. And now we’re seeing elections have consequences.”
“If someone is running for public office and tells you they don’t support reproductive rights, believe them,” she said.
Hogan claims to be a Catholic and personally pro-life, although his political actions are usually pro-abortion. He has remained silent regarding abortion after the news of the leaked Supreme Court opinion that could overturn Roe v. Wade created an explosion in the legal battle to protect the unborn.
Recently, Maryland has been a battleground between abortion activists and those trying to protect life. Legislation proposed in March by the Maryland Senate would allow babies to be left to die for as long as the first 28 days after birth, according to analysis from a pro-life attorney. However, this motion was withdrawn after attracting national attention.
RELATED: Maryland Democrats override governor’s veto, enact bill to let non-doctors perform abortions
Afterward, the Maryland House of Delegates passed HB 1171, titled “Declaration of Rights — Right to Reproductive Liberty,” which aims to place a question on the ballot for the November state elections asking voters whether the right to abortion should be enshrined in the Maryland Constitution.
However, the recent leak of the drafted Supreme Court opinion has resulted in a flood of pro-life legislation being proposed in other states across America standing up for the unborn.