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Controlled by the state’s Democratic lawmakers, Maryland’s General Assembly voted over the weekend to override Republican Governor Larry Hogan’s veto on a measure to expand abortion access. 

In light of the vote, Maryland will end the restriction that only allows physicians to provide abortions, CBS News reports. 

Known as House Bill 937, or the Abortion Care Access Act, the legislation will diversify the “qualifying providers” who can issue abortions.

In addition to licensed physicians, nurse practitioners, midwives and physician’s assistants will also be able to perform abortions starting on July 1.

“Maryland House members voted 90-46 on Saturday to reverse the governor’s decision, while state Senate members voted 29-15,” according to NPR.

Thank you so much to my House colleagues for voting to override the Governor’s veto on my legislation to protect our public health officials from undue political influence,” said Joseline A. Pena-Melnyk, a state Democratic House Delegate, on Twitter on April 9. “It is imperative that we guide our policy by science.” 

Karen J. Nelson, president and chief executive of Planned Parenthood of Maryland, said that the state’s General Assembly “stood up for healthcare [and] stood up for access to abortion care,” New York Times reports.

“They did what was right for the women in the state of Maryland,” Nelson added.

The reproductive rights victory for Maryland’s democrats comes as the conservative push for more restrictive abortion access has increased in other parts of the country within the last year, especially in TexasMississippiOklahoma and Florida

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Read more about what the Maryland General Assembly’s override will mean for the future of abortion access in the state via NPR.

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