Despite sustained and coordinated opposition from pro-life advocates, the Alaska Legislature voted to override Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of a controversial bill that could vastly expand abortion by allowing pharmacists to prescribe and distribute chemical abortion drugs throughout Alaska.

On June 18, Dunleavy vetoed House Bill 195, warning that the measure “moves too much authority too quickly by expanding pharmacist patient-care services, including diagnosis-related services and the prescription or administration of drugs and devices, without sufficient clarity and safeguards in statute.”

Initially, the bill easily passed both the Alaska House and Senate and was transmitted to the governor on June 1. On the surface, it aims to expand the ability of pharmacists to prescribe and administer drugs related to the cure, prevention or management of a disease.

While the override vote was closer than the initial passage of the bill, those opposed to the legislation still fell four votes shy of upholding Dunleavy’s veto.

Attempts to amend the bill to explicitly prohibit pharmacists from prescribing abortion-inducing drugs were shot down, leaving many pro-lifers deeply concerned that pharmacies will become new hubs that facilitate chemically induced abortions.

Without specifically mentioning abortion, Dunleavy’s veto echoed some of the points raised by pro-life advocates, including the fact that the bill leaves important questions about the scope of allowable services for pharmacists open to interpretation.

“Major changes to professional scope of practice should be accompanied by clear statutory boundaries so patients, practitioners, regulators, and courts have a common understanding of what the law permits and prohibits,” Dunleavy stated in his veto letter.

He warned that the bill also restricts the ability of the state and professional boards to approve, define, or regulate collaborative practice agreements between doctors and pharmacists when determining what services pharmacists could offer.

“Alaska should not expand clinical authority while simultaneously limiting the traditional oversight tools available to professional licensing boards and regulators,” Dunleavy noted.

He said the bill needed “greater precision before changes of this magnitude take effect.”

“Access to care should be expanded through clear, targeted legislation that preserves appropriate oversight, protects patients, and avoids uncertainty about the scope of medical services being authorized,” Dunleavy concluded.

One day after Dunleavy issued his veto, 11 out of 31 Republican lawmakers joined all the Democrats and left-leaning legislators in a 43-17 vote to override the governor and enact the law without his signature.

While the override vote was closer than the initial passage of the bill, those opposed to the legislation still fell four votes shy of upholding Dunleavy’s veto. Several lawmakers switched their original position and joined the opposition in favor of upholding the veto, these included Representatives Elexie Moore, Steve St. Clair, Jubilee Underwood and Sarah Vance.

OVERRIDE VOTES

Senators voting to override veto

— Jessi Bjorkman-R

— Cathy Giessel-R

— James Kaufman-R

— Kelly Merrick-R

— Bert Stedman-R

— Gary Stevens-R

— Matt Claman-D

— Forrest Dunbar-D

— Elvi Gray-Jackson-D

— Lyman Hoffman-D

— Scott Kawasaki-D

— Jesse Kiehl-D

— Donny Olson-D

— Loki Tobin-D

— Bill Wielechowski-D

Senators voting to uphold veto

— Mike Cronk-R

— Robert Myers-R

— George Rauscher-R

— Cathy Tilton-R

— Rob Yundt-R

Representatives voting to override veto

— Jeremy Bynum-R

— Julie Coulombe-R

— Bill Elam-R

— Chuck Kopp-R

— David Nelson-R

— Mike Prax-R

— Ashely Carrick-D

— Maxine Dibert-D

— Bryce Edgmon-Independent

— Ted Eischeid-D

— Zack Fields-D

— Neal Foster-D

— Robyn Frier-D

— Alyse Galvin-Not Affiliated

— Andrew Gray-D

— Carolyn Hall-D

— Sara Hannan-D

— Rebecca Himschoot-Not Affiliated

— Ky Holland-Not Affiliated

— Nellie Jimmie-D

— Andy Josephson-D

— Donna Mears-D

— Genevieve Mina-D

— Justin Ruffridge-R

— Dan Saddler-R

— Calvin Schrage-Not Affiliated

— Andi Story-D

— Louise Stutes-R

Representative voting to uphold veto

— Jamie Allard-R

— Mia Costello-R

— DeLena Johnson-R

— Kevin McCabe-R

— Elexie Moore-R

— Garret Nelson-R

— Rebecca Schwanke-R

— Steve St. Clair-R

— Will Stapp-R

— Frank Tomaszewski-R

— Jubilee Underwood-R

— Sarah Vance-R                                                                      

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