Alaska Senate OKs increased access to birth control

Sen. Löki Tobin, D-Anchorage, is seen during a news convention connected Wednesday, March 13, 2024. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

A ample bipartisan mostly of nan Senate approved accrued security sum for commencement power connected Thursday. Alaskans whitethorn entree up to 12 months worthy of contraceptives astatine a clip and without a co-pay from nan state’s pharmacies if nan measure becomes law.

House Bill 17 also requires wellness security companies to screen contraceptives without a co-payment and to retroactively screen existing prescriptions erstwhile Alaskans motion up for caller security coverage.

Current rule limits Alaskans to 90 days of commencement control, which is simply a obstruction to access, said nan bill’s sponsor, Rep. Ashley Carrick, D-Fairbanks.

Sen. Löki Tobin, D-Anchorage, carried nan measure successful nan Senate and said nan alteration is important because galore Alaskans cannot readily entree pharmacies erstwhile they request to refill their prescriptions for commencement control.

“We person folks who spell disconnected connected sportfishing boats, who walk clip connected nan North Slope, who are successful communities that don’t person accordant message access. Additionally, we person folks who spell disconnected to food campy successful nan summertime and whitethorn request their peculiar contraception for aesculapian needs and necessity,” she said.

The measure exempts immoderate belief employers and lawmakers removed each references to emergency contraception that were successful nan original bill.

She noted that erstwhile Anchorage lawmaker Berta Gardner and Sen. Matt Claman, D-Anchorage, person pushed for akin authorities since 2016.

Members of nan Senate voted 16-3 to o.k. nan bill. Sens. Robert Myers, R-North Pole, and Mike Shower and David Wilson, some R-Wasilla, voted against it. Sen. Shelley Hughes, R-Palmer was excused absent.

The measure will return to nan House for concurrence connected changes made successful Senate committees. Carrick said nan changes were each requested by Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s management and are valuable to nan bill’s implementation.

“I’m hoping that it’s not going to beryllium a awesome governmental situation for folks to ballot for concurrence successful nan House,” she said.

If nan House concurs, Dunleavy would determine whether to motion aliases veto nan bill.

Carrick said timing is apt to beryllium nan biggest hurdle to last passage. Lawmakers must decorativeness their business earlier midnight connected May 15.