Governor vetoes bill that would have expanded Alaska women’s access to birth control medicine

Members of the Alaska House watch for the vote tally on House Bill 17 on March 21. The bill, vetoed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy, would have allowed women to get up to a year's worth of contraception medicine at a time. Initial passage in the House was by a 29-11 vote, with Democrats, Republicans and independents voting in favor. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

Gov. Mike Dunleavy has vetoed a bill that would have eased access to contraceptives.

Dunleavy on Wednesday vetoed House Bill 17 , a measure that the Legislature passed with bipartisan support. The bill would have allowed women to receive a 12-month supply of prescription contraceptive medicine all at once. In Alaska, such medicine is typically distributed in increments of one to three months, according to the Alaska Public Health Association .

In a brief veto letter sent to House Speaker Cathy Tilton, R-Wasilla, Dunleavy said he objected to that idea.

“Contraceptives are widely available, and compelling insurance ‘companies to provide mandatory coverage for a year is bad policy,’” he said in the letter.

The bill got final passage in the House by a 26-13 margin, with all Democrats and independents, along with several Republicans, voting in favor. An earlier version passed the House by a 29-11 margin. It passed the Senate by a 16-3 margin. All the votes in opposition were from Republicans, including Tilton.

Reproductive rights advocates blasted the veto, saying it would maintain a barrier to public health.

“Vetoing HB 17 is a blatant failure of leadership and an insult to the public health of people in Alaska. Governor Dunleavy has chosen to keep barriers in place that make it difficult for all folks to access essential medication,” Rose O’Hara-Jolley, Alaska state director of Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, said in a statement.

Rep. Ashley Carrick, D-Fairbanks and the bill’s main sponsor, said she was frustrated by this and other Dunleavy vetoes.

“I believe there’s a growing sense of distaste for the administration. They don’t seem to want a collaborative process with the Legislature. Until the governor’s office shows a willingness to have a conversation and collaboration, it will be very hard for our state to move forward and get things done,” she said.

About half of U.S. states have passed laws requiring insurers to increase the number of months for which prescription contraceptives are distributed, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In those states, the usual duration is 12 months, according to the NCSL.

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