Latest news with #ChristineBarber
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
State House Spotlight: Lawmakers and advocates collaborate
BOSTON (WWLP) – This week at the State House in Boston, advocates and lawmakers worked together on events ranging from women's rights to cancer screening awareness. Several women-focused events took place on Beacon Hill, including a yearly advocacy day for the Commission on the Status of Women, which is focusing on resistance to federal changes this year. The Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators is turning 50 this year and they celebrated their origins in the State House library on Wednesday. 'It's because of their resilience, of the women who came before, and what they have fought for, that we are able to lead today,' said Representative Christine Barber, house chair of the caucus. This caucus was integral in passing the Equal Rights Amendment in 1976, and has worked on women and family rights in every legislative session since. A group of western Massachusetts medical students came to the building to advocate for issues facing their patients, including a Southwick native who plans to practice in the area. 'I've gone to Baystate as a patient, I've gone there as a learner, and I just wanted to continue my education through the Baystate health system to hopefully one day serve as a physician in western Mass,' said Southwick's Olivia Raymond, a rising 3rd year at UMass Medical School. Another local issue was brought to the State House, as a Springfield Representative is working on a petition that will keep illegal dirt bikes off the streets. 'What we're trying to avoid is for these illegal dirt bikes, illegal off-highway vehicles, to end up back on the road,' said Representative Orlando Ramos. Also this week, advocates and lawmakers came together to raise awareness about crucial health concerns, including prostate cancer and endometriosis briefings. Looking ahead to next week, lawmakers will likely need to make progress on their joint rules package, which will need to be passed before any substantive laws can be done. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators turns 50
BOSTON (WWLP) – The Caucus of Women Legislators, a bipartisan and bicameral caucus focused on advancing the rights and equality of women, is turning 50 in 2025. The Caucus was founded by 14 women lawmakers from the House of Representatives in 1975, and they pushed to pass the Equal Rights Amendment and create a sense of community among women in the State House. Western Massachusetts lawmakers push for endometriosis task force Since then, the group has spearheaded the passage of women's rights and protections bills in both chambers, spanning from divorce and domestic violence issues, to pay equity provisions, to creating a women's rights history trail. 'It's because of their resilience, of the women who came before, and what they have fought for, that we are able to lead today,' said the caucus's House Chair, Representative Christine Barber. The lieutenant governor spoke at a Wednesday kickoff of anniversary celebrations on the importance of women-led spaces in government. 'When women are empowered, good things happen for their family, for their community, for their country,' said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. 'That's not just true here in the United States, that's global.' Each legislative session, the caucus chooses five legislative priorities to focus their resources on and endorses 20 other bills. This session, the caucus is focused on livable wages for human service workers, increased access to disposable menstrual products, reducing rates and deaths from pancreatic cancer, advances in perinatal behavioral health care, and gender-neutral language in election laws. The Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators is 60 members strong in 2025, including seven from western Massachusetts. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bill supporters cite poll results on abortions later in pregnancy
BPSTPN (SHNS) – Reproductive rights advocates released new poll results Wednesday that found 66% of Bay Staters support loosening restrictions on abortions performed after 24 weeks. Two-thirds of 500 registered voters surveyed in December said they favor overhauling the criteria in state law for abortions later in pregnancy and more broadly allowing the procedure 'at the professional judgement of the providing physician,' according to the poll commissioned by the Reproductive Equity Now Foundation. The poll found 32% of respondents 'somewhat' support and 34% 'strongly' support changing the law. EMC Research pollsters found 14% 'somewhat' oppose and 20% 'strongly' oppose updating the law. Reproductive Equity Now referenced the poll findings Wednesday as it promoted new bills this term from Reps. Christine Barber and Lindsay Sabadosa and Sen. Robyn Kennedy (HD 2651 / SD 1742), which advocates say are designed to help patients who wanted to be pregnant but are dealing with serious medical complications. The proposals would scrap the existing criteria used to allow abortions past 24 weeks — including to save the patient's life, as well because of a 'lethal fetal anomaly or diagnosis' or a 'grave fetal diagnosis.' That language was a central focus of discussion as Beacon Hill lawmakers crafted their 2022 abortion shield law. The Massachusetts Family Institute 'strongly opposes this deadly bill,' said general counsel Sam Whiting. 'The sole purpose of this bill is to enable late-term abortions of babies that can survive outside the womb just because those babies are unwanted,' Whiting said. 'Massachusetts law already allows abortions after viability if a doctor determines the mother's life or physical or mental health may be at risk, including in cases of rape and incest, or when there are lethal fetal abnormalities. This bill would eliminate even those limits, allowing the late-term termination of babies for any reason—or no reason at all.' Sabadosa said the bill aims to ensure residents don't have to travel out of state and pay hefty out-of-pocket costs for an abortion. The bill also better empowers physicians to make decisions about patient care, as Sabadosa said it is 'extremely common' for hospital boards and lawyers to interpret existing law narrowly to avoid legal risks. 'Despite the Legislature trying to provide the greatest leeway possible, the language we have in statute currently is still preventing physicians from performing abortions later in pregnancy, in their best professional judgement,' Sabadosa said. 'We are very much seeing patients being forced to travel, primarily to DC or to Maryland.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
