Sen. Teresa Purse introduces LD 143 to fund family planning services

Sen. Teresa Purse, the Senate majority leader and sponsor of LD 143, told the Legislature’s Standing Committee on Health and Human Services that LD 143 is meant “to improve women's health and economic security by funding family planning services.”

The bill sponsor introduced LD 143 at a public hearing presided over by Sen. Henry Ingwersen, chair of the committee. Purse said, “LD 143 is our opportunity, actually our obligation, to continue to defend and protect Mainers' access to critical health care,” and framed the bill as part of lawmakers’ duty to ensure access to basic health care.

The committee opened the hearing with procedural instructions. Sen. Henry Ingwersen, committee chair, said the morning would begin with LD 143 and explained the order for testimony: sponsors and cosponsors first, followed by speakers in support, then those opposed and those neither for nor against. The committee set a three-minute clock for public testimony and asked presenters to provide copies of prepared testimony to the clerk. Megan Lasorsa, the committee clerk, and Anna Broom, the committee analyst for the day, were present to support the hearing.

Purse identified herself as representing Senate District 25 and named communities in her district, including Falmouth, Cumberland and North Yarmouth. She urged the committee to treat the bill as central to protecting access to reproductive and family health services in Maine.

The chair told attendees the public hearing record is open to written testimony and that the committee will schedule a work session in the coming weeks for deliberation and debate. The committee noted the hearing was being livestreamed and recorded.

The committee also announced additional bills scheduled for later in the day: LD 514, LD 215 and LD 258, which the chair said would be heard in the afternoon session.