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LAWS ABOUT ABORTION IN MAINE
In 1992, the Supreme Court handed down a decision in Planned Parenthood v. Casey that altered the Court's position on abortion to reflect a more lenient attitude. With this ruling, the Court opened the way for informed consent and open discussion of abortion.
In response, many states passed laws providing for parental consent and notification, informed consent, waiting periods and other laws. This was not the case in Maine, however. In 1993, the Maine Legislature passed into law a radical pro-abortion bill, one of the most liberal abortion laws in the nation.
Maine law now:
- allows abortions to be performed during all nine months of pregnancy, due to a broad definition of a woman's health
- allows abortions to be performed for reasons of sex selection or birth control
- allows girls of any age to get an abortion without parental consent or notification
- prohibits laws that require a waiting period before a doctor can perform an abortion
- prohibits requiring abortionists to provide information on fetal development and alternatives such as adoption
- prohibits laws that would encourage live births.
