April 10th, 2022 by WCBC Radio

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan's veto of a measure to expand access to abortion in the state was overridden on Saturday by the General Assembly, which is controlled by Democrats. WBAL reports the state will end a restriction that only physicians can provide abortions. The new law will enable nurse practitioners, nurse midwives and physician assistants to provide them with training. It creates an abortion care training program and requires $3.5 million in state funding annually. It also requires most insurance plans to cover abortions without cost.

Del. Emily Shetty said she was supporting the measure on the House floor as a mother who had experienced a high-risk pregnancy. She also described being a sexual assault survivor in college and the difficulties she experienced “with the weight of what had happened after that incident.”

“And thankfully, the incident did not result in pregnancy but had it, it would have drastically changed my life if I had not been able to access the care that I needed at that time," Shetty, a Democrat, said.

Hogan, in his veto letter, wrote that the legislation "endangers the health and lives of women by allowing non-physicians to perform abortions.”