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A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 11 april 2022
Maryland lawmakers override gov's veto of abortion expansion

By BRIAN WITTE the training. Del. Haven
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Shoemaker, the House mi-
Republican Gov. Larry Ho- nority whip, described the
gan's veto of a measure bill as "the most radical
to expand access to abor- expansion of abortion in
tion in Maryland was over- Maryland's history in a state
ridden on Saturday by the that already has some of
General Assembly, which is the most liberal abortion
controlled by Democrats. laws in the country."
The state will end a restric- "Madam speaker, this bill
tion that only physicians is too extreme, even for
can provide abortions. The Maryland," Shoemaker, a
new law will enable nurse Republican, said, referring
practitioners, nurse mid- to House Speaker Adrienne
wives and physician assis- Jones, a Democrat.
tants to provide them with Kelly said the measure is
training. It creates an abor- modernizing the choice
tion care training program the state's voters made in
and requires $3.5 million 1992, when they approved
in state funding annually. the right to abortion in a
It also requires most insur- statewide vote with 62% of
ance plans to cover abor- voters supporting it.
tions without cost. "It is making sure that peo-
Del. Emily Shetty said she Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan talks to reporters after signing a measure to enact a new congres- ple have access to care,
was supporting the mea- sional map on Monday, April, 4, 2022, for the state’s eight U.S. House seats. particularly people of col-
sure on the House floor as Associated Press or, particularly low-income
a mother who had expe- people, particularly rural
rienced a high-risk preg- that I needed at that time," ruling that banned states ing that people can access people," Kelly said. "We
nancy. She also described Shetty, a Democrat, said. from outlawing abortion. the care that they need, know that physician-only
being a sexual assault survi- Hogan wrote in his veto let- If they do, at least 26 states when they need it, no mat- restrictions exacerbate
vor in college and the dif- ter that the legislation "en- are likely to either ban ter what happens with the health inequalities, and we
ficulties she experienced dangers the health and abortion outright or severe- rest of the country — no are trying to reduce health
"with the weight of what lives of women by allowing ly limit access, according matter what happens with inequalities in the state of
had happened after that non-physicians to perform to the Guttmacher Insti- the Supreme Court," said Maryland with this bill."
incident." abortions." tute, a research and policy Del. Ariana Kelly, a Demo- The measure takes effect
"And thankfully, the inci- The measure comes at a organization that supports crat who was the lead July 1. The insurance provi-
dent did not result in preg- time when the conserva- abortion rights. sponsor of the bill, said. sions apply to all policies,
nancy but had it, it would tive majority on the U.S. "In this context, it's very im- Republican lawmakers criti- contracts, and health ben-
have drastically changed Supreme Court is weighing portant that we keep in cized the provision allocat- efit plans issued, delivered,
my life if I had not been whether to overturn Roe v. mind that the strategies ing $3.5 million of taxpayer or renewed in the state on
able to access the care Wade, the landmark 1973 that this bill is using is ensur- money annually to pay for or after Jan. 1.q
Feds accused of ignoring asbestos, mold at women's prison

Counsel now wants At- "Management's failure to duct and detailed a toxic
torney General Merrick address unsafe and dan- culture that enabled it to
Garland to step in to in- gerous working conditions continue for years.
vestigate the allegations at FCI Dublin has put the After the AP's investigation
after multiple whistleblow- health and safety of both was published, whistle-
er complaints were filed employees and inmates blowers at the prison said
earlier this year. The office at considerable risk," Dub- they were being attacked
detailed its findings in a let- lin union president Edward for speaking up. The Bu-
ter this past week and has Canales said. "We look reau of Prisons launched
asked Garland to submit a forward to the outcome a task force of 18 senior
report within 60 days. of this investigation, which executives who visited the
The whistleblower com- we hope will result in the prison in March to assess
plaints, filed by union of- unsafe conditions being the conditions there and
ficials at the Federal Cor- remedied and appropriate work to reform the facil-
rectional Institution in Dub- disciplinary actions being ity. The agency's director,
A sign for the Federal Correctional Institution Dublin is displayed lin, California, alleged that taken against the manag- Michael Carvajal, also vis-
on Jan. 9, 2019, in Dublin, Calif. senior Bureau of Prisons of- ers who failed to act." ited the prison. The Justice
Associated Press ficials had failed to act to The Justice Department Department said Saturday
resolve the allegations of has already been investi- it had received the letter
By MICHAEL BALSAMO and ignored complaints and workplace contamination. gating serious misconduct and "appreciates OSC's re-
MICHAEL R. SISAK failed to address asbestos The union had repeatedly at Dublin, where five em- sponsiveness to these con-
Associated Press and mold contamination complained that correc- ployees — including the cerns." It said the Bureau
WASHINGTON (AP) — A at a federal women's pris- tional officers and other former warden — have of Prisons was "addressing
government watchdog on in California that has al- prison workers and inmates been charged with sexu- concerns raised by staff at
has found a "substantial ready been under scrutiny were being exposed to po- ally abusing inmates. An Dublin and working to en-
likelihood" the federal Bu- for rampant sexual abuse tentially hazardous mold Associated Press investiga- sure that all facilities are op-
reau of Prisons commit- of inmates. and asbestos but says those tion this year revealed a erating under safe, healthy
ted wrongdoing when it The U.S. Office of Special concerns were ignored. pattern of sexual miscon- conditions."q