In late July, MFI received credible information that the Massachusetts legislature was moving to strip away virtually every remaining restriction on abortion in the Commonwealth, legalizing abortion past 24 weeks with no requirement of medical justification. We sounded the alarm. And within a single week, our fears were confirmed.
The bill was rushed through committee with an “ought to pass” recommendation. Its number was changed. It was railroaded through the House with little to no warning. The Senate suspended its own rules to force a quick, essentially anonymous standing vote. This grotesque bill passed with the approval of less than half the senate, and the names of the senators who voted in favor of it were not recorded. Then it landed on the governor’s desk, mere days before the end of formal session, timed precisely for when legislators hoped no one would notice.
During the brief notice given before the vote, pro-life advocates across Massachusetts flooded their representatives’ offices with thousands of calls and emails imploring lawmakers to reject this dangerous bill. Legislators didn’t just ignore them; MFI obtained emails showing representatives arguing with and belittling the constituents who elected them. These lawmakers weren’t representing the people of Massachusetts; they were representing Planned Parenthood and the radical activist groups that pushed this gruesome agenda.
On August 10, Governor Healey signed abortion with no gestational limits into law as Chapter 188. The footage is chilling. Supporters didn’t just clap; they cheered, laughed and celebrated without a hint of shame over a law that allows the intentional killing of a fully developed, viable baby.
But Beacon Hill does not get the last word. The people of Massachusetts do.
Our strong allies at Massachusetts Family Action and Massachusetts Citizens for Life have joined forces to form the Compassionate Care Coalition and have filed a referendum petition to suspend and repeal Chapter 188. A referendum takes this decision out of the hands of the legislators who broke faith with their constituents and puts it back where it belongs: with Massachusetts voters.
To get there, the Compassionate Care Coalition needs 49,716 certified signatures. The scale of the public outcry over this law’s passage demonstrates that Massachusetts residents are ready to stand up and be counted. We believe we can hit this number and repeal this law.
If this petition succeeds, Chapter 188 is immediately suspended, and it stays suspended until the people of Massachusetts vote on it themselves in November 2028.
MFI is proud to put the full weight of our support behind this effort, and we invite you to stand with us. There are many ways you can help, from collecting signatures to making phone calls to simple data entry. If you lead a church or run a business, you can register as an official petition location so people in your community will know that they have a place they can go nearby to sign. Visit the Repeal 188 website now to get involved!
The unborn cannot speak for themselves. We can speak up for them, and we must. MFI firmly believes that all human life, from conception until natural death, is sacred and worthy of protection. We echo the Archdiocese of Boston in its response to this bill: “May we proclaim, in words and action, that every human life is worth the total gift of ourselves.”
Join us in repealing Chapter 188. And join us in prayer that Massachusetts rediscovers the sanctity of life and restores morality to this Commonwealth.
