Hogan declines to fund expansion of abortion training to some medical professionals (original) (raw)

Maryland's Democratic comptroller is pushing the Republican governor to release funding early to expand the pool of abortion providers and provide training.A new state law will take effect in July to expand who can provide an abortion in Maryland, and the measure mandates funding for training in 2024. But there's also millions set aside to start the training this summer.So far, Gov. Larry Hogan, who vetoed the bill in April, has refused to release the $3.5 million that Democratic lawmakers set aside to train nurse practitioners and other health care providers to perform the procedure and expand access.| RELATED: Maryland lawmakers override gov's veto of abortion expansionThe new law will enable nurse practitioners, nurse midwives and physician assistants to provide abortions with training. It also creates an abortion care training program with state funding.In a statement sent to 11 News, gubernatorial spokesman Mike Ricci accused Comptroller Peter Franchot of campaigning and said, "The governor firmly believes, as stated in his veto of this partisan measure, that non-licensed physicians should not be performing these medical procedures. Suddenly releasing taxpayer dollars for this purpose would run counter to those concerns about setting back the standards for women's health.""He should do the right thing. He's a rational, functioning, mature adult," Franchot said.Franchot is a candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2022. Though he first tweeted about the issue from his campaign account, Franchot on Thursday made it clear he was speaking out in his capacity as Maryland's chief fiscal officer."I'm the comptroller of the state of Maryland, and I represent 6-million-plus people. They're going to be very upset by this," Franchot said.The tug of war over abortion access in Maryland illustrates the power that state elected officials have to make decisions on the divisive issue.| PDF: Read the comptroller's letter to the governorIf the Supreme Court overturns the Roe ruling, at least 26 states are likely to outlaw abortions, including neighboring West Virginia, according to the Guttmacher Institute, an abortion rights advocacy group.Franchot said releasing the funding would be "to get ready for the influx of women from other states who are seeking what their states have, unfortunately, probably going to criminalize it."Robyn Elliott, with Planned Parenthood of Maryland, said this comes amid a critical shortage of training and trained providers.Planned Parenthood of Maryland said they were already seeing two women per week traveling from Texas to the Baltimore location to access services. They said they expect more will soon follow from West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida."We are on the brink of a public health crisis," Elliott said. "We already have access problems in Maryland. We're going to see hundreds or thousands of women coming over Maryland's borders. We need providers in every community."According to a survey from The Guttmacher Institute, an abortion-rights research group, more than two thirds of Maryland counties do not have a single abortion provider.Hogan, who has positioned himself as a national voice for the Republican Party and a possible challenger for the White House in 2024, has yet to speak publicly about the leaked draft opinion of the U.S. Supreme Court that could overturn Roe v. Wade.| RELATED: Here's what to know about the investigation of the Supreme Court draft opinion leakThe governor's office said Hogan has not yet returned to Maryland and that he's still traveling after delivering a speech Tuesday night at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California.The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Maryland's Democratic comptroller is pushing the Republican governor to release funding early to expand the pool of abortion providers and provide training.

A new state law will take effect in July to expand who can provide an abortion in Maryland, and the measure mandates funding for training in 2024. But there's also millions set aside to start the training this summer.

So far, Gov. Larry Hogan, who vetoed the bill in April, has refused to release the $3.5 million that Democratic lawmakers set aside to train nurse practitioners and other health care providers to perform the procedure and expand access.

The new law will enable nurse practitioners, nurse midwives and physician assistants to provide abortions with training. It also creates an abortion care training program with state funding.

In a statement sent to 11 News, gubernatorial spokesman Mike Ricci accused Comptroller Peter Franchot of campaigning and said, "The governor firmly believes, as stated in his veto of this partisan measure, that non-licensed physicians should not be performing these medical procedures. Suddenly releasing taxpayer dollars for this purpose would run counter to those concerns about setting back the standards for women's health."

"He should do the right thing. He's a rational, functioning, mature adult," Franchot said.

Franchot is a candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2022. Though he first tweeted about the issue from his campaign account, Franchot on Thursday made it clear he was speaking out in his capacity as Maryland's chief fiscal officer.

"I'm the comptroller of the state of Maryland, and I represent 6-million-plus people. They're going to be very upset by this," Franchot said.

The tug of war over abortion access in Maryland illustrates the power that state elected officials have to make decisions on the divisive issue.

| PDF: Read the comptroller's letter to the governor

If the Supreme Court overturns the Roe ruling, at least 26 states are likely to outlaw abortions, including neighboring West Virginia, according to the Guttmacher Institute, an abortion rights advocacy group.

Franchot said releasing the funding would be "to get ready for the influx of women from other states who are seeking what their states have, unfortunately, probably going to criminalize it."

Robyn Elliott, with Planned Parenthood of Maryland, said this comes amid a critical shortage of training and trained providers.

Planned Parenthood of Maryland said they were already seeing two women per week traveling from Texas to the Baltimore location to access services. They said they expect more will soon follow from West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida.

"We are on the brink of a public health crisis," Elliott said. "We already have access problems in Maryland. We're going to see hundreds or thousands of women coming over Maryland's borders. We need providers in every community."

According to a survey from The Guttmacher Institute, an abortion-rights research group, more than two thirds of Maryland counties do not have a single abortion provider.

Hogan, who has positioned himself as a national voice for the Republican Party and a possible challenger for the White House in 2024, has yet to speak publicly about the leaked draft opinion of the U.S. Supreme Court that could overturn Roe v. Wade.

The governor's office said Hogan has not yet returned to Maryland and that he's still traveling after delivering a speech Tuesday night at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.