In an interview over the weekend, Nebraska Republican Governor Pete Ricketts – the Co-Chair of the Republican Governors Association – made clear he supports a full abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest. The Republican Governors Association, the largest funder of the Maine GOP, is fully behind Paul LePage’s campaign for governor. Does Paul LePage, who is staunchly anti-abortion, agree with RGA Co-Chair Ricketts that abortion should be banned with no exceptions?
“The Republican Governors Association is doing everything it can to elect Paul LePage. But does LePage agree with the Co-Chair of the RGA, Governor Ricketts, that women should be forced to give birth even in the case of rape and incest?”,” said Drew Gattine, Chair of the Maine Democratic Party. “Before they vote this November, Mainers deserve to know what kind of restrictions LePage supports putting on reproductive health and freedom.”
Ricketts’ comments come as the Supreme Court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, and Republicans around the country are passing bills not to just to ban abortion, but to criminalize it. In Maine, the state GOP recently adopted a platform opposing abortion, LePage indicated that he would sign new abortion restrictions into law, and the far-right, anti-abortion group Christian Civic League whose goal is to “end abortion in Maine” cited LePage as an “ally” of their cause.
Abortion rights are currently enshrined in Maine law, and access to reproductive health care has been expanded by Governor Janet Mills and Democrats in the legislature over the last three years. However, even though Maine voters are staunchly pro-choice, those laws could be replaced with draconian restrictions if Roe is overturned and LePage and Republicans take power this November.