Gorbea says McKee not doing enough to expand abortion coverage in RI

PROVIDENCE — Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea stopped short of suggesting that Dan McKee has the legal authority, as Rhode Island's governor, to issue an executive order repealing the state's ban on abortion coverage for state employees and Medicaid recipients.

But she blamed fellow Democrat McKee – whom she hopes to replace as governor – for not doing more to convince legislative leaders to put stalled bills to repeal the ban to a vote before the lawmakers went on break to campaign for reelection.

'“Enough is enough," she said Tuesday at a news conference outside the State House.

"I am tired of hearing excuses from the governor on why this legislation isn’t getting passed,” said Gorbea, who is one of the Democrats challenging McKee in the Sept. 13 primary.

Last week: Coalition calls on McKee to sign executive order expanding abortion coverage

Gorbea also seized the occasion to again slam former CVS executive Helena Foulkes – who is competing for the Democratic nod to run for governor – for having contributed $500 in 2014 to U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, "who we have to thank for being in this situation to begin with."

“We need leadership who is willing to use their power to protect the rights of women and families in Rhode Island," she said, asserting she has the personal skills McKee lacks to more successfully negotiate the issue with Senate President Dominick Ruggerio and House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi.

The response from the Foulkes' camp: "Once again, it’s extremely disappointing that Secretary Gorbea would choose this moment to attack a strongly pro-choice candidate."

From June: McKee plans executive order to protect RI abortion providers

And "it's an interesting line of criticism coming from the Secretary, who started her career working for a Republican governor, refused to endorse Rhode Island’s first woman governor in her re-election, and knocked doors to help elect the pro-life Speaker of the House who prevented Rhode Island from codifying Roe v. Wade into state law for years," ," said Foulkes spokeswoman Audrey Lucas.

The response from McKee campaign spokeswoman Alana O'Hare:

"For Governor McKee, women’s reproductive rights is not about politics or grandstanding, it’s about protecting women and their health-care decisions. While he’s governor, those rights will always be protected."

Citing the executive order he did sign in the immediate wake of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, she said McKee is "focused on taking action that gets things done [while] Nellie Gorbea once again is just trying to grab headlines in the heat of a political campaign."

In that executive order, McKee ordered state agencies not to cooperate with any investigations launched by other states of Rhode Islanders who help someone get an abortion.

The new reality: Rhode Islanders who help someone from out of state get an abortion are now protected

Shekarchi spokesman Larry Berman said Gorbea has never spoken to the House Speaker directly about the issue.

Abortion politics has become a high-profile issue in political races from the governor on down in Rhode Island since the Supreme Court ruling placed it back on the front burner.

This is not the first time Gorbea has spoken about it.

In May, before the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Gorbea sent a letter to the chairman of the legislative committee holding a hearing on this year's bill to repeal the ban on what opponents see as publicly funded abortions for state workers and Medicaid recipients.

"I firmly believe that in order to achieve an equitable and just society, rights cannot just be rights – they must also be accessible to everyone," she wrote that day.

"More than ever, Rhode Islanders are facing unprecedented financial strains, and no family should have to choose between a medical decision and putting food on their table," she wrote. (Foulkes also sent a letter of support.)

On Tuesday, she cited her years-long history in advocating for "access to abortion" as a reason Democratic voters should trust her to do a better job than any of her opponents at making headway on the issue;

Standing at the microphone Tuesday, Rep. Karen Alzate – the Pawtucket Democrat who heads the Black and Latino caucus – told assembled media that she was proud "the House chamber's leadership is behind this 100%. They are listening to us."

She even raised the potential of a September special session to pass the repeal legislation, but later made clear that she was urging this, but had no commitments.

In the interim, McKee's office reiterated the stance he took last week, in response to more than 20 advocacy groups urging him to issue an executive order repealing the abortion coverage ban for state workers and Medicaid recipients.

"Our legal office has concluded that we cannot use an executive order to reverse the expressed prohibitions codified in statute,: McKee spokesman Matt Sheaff said. "The best course of action is for the General Assembly to pass the bill and send it to the Governor’s desk for signature next session,"

Gorbea described his response as "crickets."

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Gorbea criticizes McKee over RI ban on abortion coverage state workers