Maine Won’t Go Back: LePage Era Harmful for Maine people, Reproductive Health

In response to former Governor Paul LePage announcing his intention to run for governor in 2022, the Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund issued the following statement.

Nicole Clegg, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund

“The LePage era was marked by divisiveness, hostility, incivility, and harmful policies that hurt Maine people. As we’re seeing in Texas, one election can change the course of a state. The right to safe, legal abortion is a right in name only for millions of Texans and the Supreme Court has another opportunity to dismantle Roe v. Wade next year. Famously anti-abortion, denying healthcare to Mainers was a hallmark of LePage’s tenure as governor. Maine cannot afford to go back.”

As governor, LePage 

• wanted to take away health care coverage from 65,000 people, including some teenagers 
• cut $400,000 from the state family planning program
• blocked a bill that would have protected working parents who breastfeed 
• repeatedly denied life-saving anti-overdose medicine to Mainers

• kept key positions vital to confronting the coronavirus crisis – such as public health nurses, epidemiologists and lab technicians – vacant

 

Since the end of the LePage administration more than 95,000 people have gained access to healthcare coverage through Medicaid expansion (MaineCare), more Mainers have insurance coverage for abortion care, and Mainers have improved coverage for reproductive health care.

 

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