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Twenty-One States Announce Historic Governor-Led Reproductive Freedom Alliance

Government and Politics

February 24, 2023

From: Colorado Governor Jared Polis

Colorado Governor Jared Polis, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, Delaware Governor John Carney, Hawai’i Governor Josh Green, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Maine Governor Janet Mills, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee, Washington Governor Jay Inslee, and Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, announced the launch of a multi-state Reproductive Freedom Alliance (Alliance).

The Alliance is a non-partisan coalition of 21 Governors committed to protecting and expanding reproductive freedom in their states, the largest such coalition ever convened. The Alliance will work together to strengthen reproductive freedom in the face of an unprecedented assault on abortion access and other forms of reproductive health care by states hostile to abortion rights and judges who are advancing their ideological agenda. All Governors who support reproductive freedom are welcome to join the Alliance.

Major funding for the Alliance is provided by the California Wellness Foundation with additional support from the Rosenberg Foundation.

Joint Statement from the Governors

“As governors representing more than 170 million people across every region of the country, we are standing with all people who believe in reproductive freedom and health care. We are standing with them to say, ‘enough.’

“In the last year alone, over 36 million women have lost access to critical health care with the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Medication abortion – one of the safest forms of health care for decades now – may be stripped from our clinics and hospitals nationwide. Doctors face criminal prosecution for providing care. Extremists are trying to restrict access to contraception – and we know they won’t stop there.

“In the face of this unprecedented assault by states hostile to abortion rights and their enablers in the courts, we are pledging to work together to strengthen abortion firewalls across America. This fight isn’t over.“

“While some politicians want to restrict the ability of individuals to access reproductive health services and some states are criminalizing doctors and women like Texas, Colorado stands for freedom and empowering women and their doctors to make medical decisions without government interference or fear of retaliation. Colorado values freedom for all to make their own choices on how to live their lives," said Governor Polis.