$1 Million For Abortion Access: County Exec. Asks Council For Funding

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — The county executive is asking for $1 million to allocate toward abortion services, which would provide funding to non-profits and organizations that provide abortions, focus on family planning and reproductive health, take on legal cases on behalf of women, and those that provides services both for women who have abortions and those who decide to have children.

“We live in a time where people’s rights are under attack - from the Supreme Court to the halls of Congress, to State Houses throughout this nation,” said County Executive Marc Elrich in a news release. “We must do all we can to protect women’s health and their personal rights. With this allocation of funds, we are helping ensure that any woman who needs assistance will be able to access it. I want to thank our nonprofit partners, doctors, and nurses who are so critical to our efforts. In Montgomery County, we are committed to working in partnership to stand up for all people and will continue to do so.”

The request comes just after a leaked Supreme Court opinion draft pointed toward the court's positioning to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Protesters have taken to demonstrating outside of Supreme Court Justice's homes, including those of Brett Kavanaugh and John Roberts in Chevy Chase.

“The County Executive’s initiative is in great alignment with the County Council’s resolution on reproductive rights, which I spearheaded,” said County Councilmember Nancy Navarro in a news release. “The resolution affirmed our commitment to ensuring that health care organizations that provide reproductive health services have the appropriate supports and capacity to safeguard the reproductive rights of residents in our communities.

Elrich is asking for the allocation of funding from the County Council.

"As the lone woman Councilmember on the Council, I will continue to do all I can to support the County executive and the County Council in doing the right thing - protecting our reproductive rights and safeguarding the welfare of all our residents," Navarro continued. "I also call on Governor Hogan to support reproductive rights in Maryland by releasing the $3.5 million earmarked by the legislature for training.”