Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo signed a law that protects women from all over the country who move to Nevada for an abortion, regardless of restrictions in their state of residence. The Republican is one of the few GOP governors to protect abortion rights in his state.
The law prohibits state agencies from contributing to any type of research that may harm women who undergo the procedure in the state and protects physicians who perform abortions, as they cannot be sanctioned by the medical boards or commissions that oversee them:
- "Prohibiting health care licensing boards from disqualifying from licensure or disciplining a person for providing or assisting in the provision of certain reproductive health care services."
- "Prohibiting the Governor from surrendering, or issuing a warrant for the arrest of, a person who is charged in another state with a criminal violation related to certain reproductive health care services."
- "Prohibiting state agencies from assisting in certain investigations and proceedings initiated in other states related to certain reproductive health services."
- "Requiring certain health licensing boards to examine the feasibility of reciprocal licensure for health care providers who provide reproductive health services in other states; and providing other matters properly relating thereto."
Respecting the will of the voters
Governor Lombardo has publicly stated on various occasions that he is a pro-life Catholic. However, in his campaign, he assured that she would respect the decision and will of the residents of his state, who in 1990 voted to protect access to abortion up to 24 weeks of gestation.
Lombardo is not the only Republican to protect abortion access in his state. Phil Scott of Vermont and Charlie Baker, former governor of Massachusetts, also enacted similar laws.
Nicole Cannizzaro, the Democratic majority leader in the state Senate and sponsor of the bill, thanked the governor for his support:
Today, #SB131 was signed by Governor Lombardo. I want thank him for following through on his commitment to ensure that Nevada won't participate in prosecutions of women who come here to exercise their reproductive rights. #nvleg pic.twitter.com/7gMxCazFix
— Nicole Cannizzaro (@Nicole4Nevada) May 30, 2023
