A public hearing on the proposed text of the law, which was released this past week, was held on March 5, 2024, a date that coincides with the state’s primary election day.
“I think the Dems did that deliberately,” Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn), told The Epoch Times.
“They called the meeting very quickly. They wanted to be sure nobody noticed this hearing. What a great way to minimize opposition input. The whole process has been underhanded.”
Among other things, Ms. Libby objected to the hearing being conducted by the Health Coverage and Financial Services Committee, which is chaired by the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Anne Perry (D-Calais), instead of the Judiciary Committee.
Ms. Perry did not respond to a request for comment from The Epoch Times.
“This bill most certainly undermines parental decision-making,” Ms. Libby told The Epoch Times.
“It is legislating for all 50 states. No one can interfere with this legal right that will be granted in Maine. It will make Maine a ’sanctuary state' for sex changes and abortions.”
A New Tourist Industry?
The 21-page amendment would extend legal protections for people seeking, providing, and assisting in the provision of sex change surgeries and abortions whether they are Maine residents or visitors to the state.The measure prohibits agencies, including law enforcement, from “cooperating with or expending public resources in furtherance of an investigation against a person for engaging in aiding and assisting activities” related to sex change operations or abortions.
Any “interference” with access to sex change surgery, hormonal therapies, breast binders, and abortion is deemed by the proposed new law to be “against public policy.”
It states that Maine would not issue or honor summonses, warrants, subpoenas, or make arrests, except under narrowly specified legal circumstances.
Nor would Maine extradite anyone solely for engaging in or aiding and assisting “legally protected health care activity,” unless the accused was physically present in the other state when the alleged offense was committed.
The bill also forbids Maine courts from issuing a search warrant for cell phone information that relates to a legally protected health care activity or aiding and assisting such activity.
Under the bill, parents from another state who file a legal action in their home state to prevent a non-custodial relative from bringing the couple’s child to Maine for a sex change operation can be sued in Maine courts by the transporter for punitive damages and attorney’s fees.
According to an analysis of the bill by the Christian Civic League of Maine (CCLM), the measure puts children at great risk, and therefore it should be defeated.
The League asserts that Maine courts would be prohibited “from enforcing a judgment from another state related to gender identity/abortion services.”
No Religious Exemption
“Because there is no religious exception, it would mean that a Catholic health care organization or pro-life pregnancy center could be punished for disciplining an employee who participates in one of these morally objectionable services,” the CCLM report said.Professional licensing authorities in Maine would be prohibited by the law from denying clinical privileges or otherwise sanctioning a health care practitioner for helping a client obtain sex change treatments, abortions, or providing such services.
Disciplinary action imposed by another state will not be enforced in Maine if the cause of the action was solely for the provision of protected services.
Management decisions by Maine insurance carriers would be impacted by the bill because they would be prohibited from increasing rates or imposing penalties on surgeons for performing abortions or sex change procedures.
“This is interfering with the ability of insurers to appropriately factor in the risk of malpractice claims related to these procedures,” according to the CCLM analysis.
