NH House Progressive Caucus

The New Hampshire Progressive Caucus full-heartedly believes in reproductive justice. Reproductive justice means that all people, regardless of race, class, or gender, have the right to make autonomous reproductive decisions and should have the resources and support to do so.

In line with this, we strongly support the three proactive pieces of reproductive rights legislation coming before the NH House next week. These include HB1673, the abortion ban repeal; HB1674, the Access to Abortion-care Act; and CACR18, New Hampshire’s Reproductive Liberty Amendment. The last one is being sponsored by all Progressive Caucus members.

Constitutional protections for reproductive rights are the gold standard. That is why we have reintroduced New Hampshire’s Reproductive Liberty Amendment, CACR18, in honor of Rosie Jimenez. In 1977, post Roe v. Wade, Jimenez died after she was denied access to an abortion. Unable to afford the cost out of pocket, she was also unable to use Medicaid funds for the legal procedure and was forced to resort to a dangerous illegal abortion that took her life. New Hampshire’s Reproductive Liberty Amendment provides constitutional protection ensuring that the state shall not infringe or unduly inconvenience the right to reproductive medical decisions. CACR18 would help pave the way to remove existing restrictions on abortion in NH and protect people from state interference in the right to have children.

We must overturn NH’s abortion ban and stop further restrictions. We must also plant the seeds for comprehensive reproductive justice. Larger goals will never be achieved if we don’t plant real seeds for them. Incremental change legislation and big picture legislation that gives us what we really want go hand in hand. It is exciting to see reproductive justice activists coming together to support both.

This legislation is being introduced by all progressive caucus members including: Amanda Elizabeth Toll, Progressive Caucus Communications Officer; Manny Espitia, President of the New Hampshire Young Democrats; Rebecca McWilliams, NHYDC Executive Board Member; Sherry Frost, Co-chair of NH Progressive Coalition; Tim Smith, Progressive Caucus Co-Chair; Chuck Grassie, Progressive Caucus Co-Chair; Josh Query, NHYDC Vice Chair; and Debra Altschiller, long time reproductive rights champion in the NH House.

Again, we want to emphasize that constitutional standards are the gold standard on this issue. As progressives, we will join the fight for incremental change, but we will also always go for the gold.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The New Hampshire House Progressive Caucus is deeply disturbed by Republican Rep. Dick Marston comment’s referring to members of the GLBTQ+ community as “some deviant sexuality.” This comment came during a public hearing in the Criminal Justice Committee on HB238, which sought to outlaw the GLBTQ Panic Defense. We stand 100% in solidarity with the q***r community and will fight within the legislature for their rights and dignity. Rep. Dick Marston’s comments are reflective of bigotry and should have no place in public policy. We call for his immediate resignation.