Massachusetts Officials Vow to Protect Abortion Access After Supreme Court Overturns Roe

BOSTON — July 19, 2026 — Massachusetts officials rally in Boston to defend abortion access after Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. Attorney General Maura Healey, Mayor Michelle Wu, Secretary of Health and Human Services Mary Lou Sudders, and state Sen. Cindy Friedman joined reproductive health advocates outside a Boston clinic to declare the Commonwealth a safe haven for abortion care following the Supreme Court's same-day ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. Governor Charlie Baker, absent from the rally, issued a same-day executive order with four provisions: protecting providers who serve out-of-state patients, barring state agencies from assisting other states' investigations, shielding providers from out-of-state professional discipline, and refusing extradition requests tied to legal Massachusetts reproductive health services. The FY 2023 Senate budget — still in conference — includes $2 million for clinic security and infrastructure as well as "very far-reaching" provider and patient protections authored by Friedman as Senate Amendment 388. Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts Executive Director Dr. Nate Horwitz-Willis said his organization had been expanding in-clinic and telehealth capacity in anticipation of the ruling and that no waiting period exists for patients seeking care, while Healey called for Massachusetts to serve as a national "helper state" by directing resources to abortion funds across the country.