Tanisha Sullivan, the Democratic challenger for secretary of state, ramped up her criticism of incumbent Bill Galvin’s record on abortion Thursday, depicting him as an untrustworthy ally for abortion supporters following the reversal of Roe v. Wade.
In a press conference on the State House steps, Sullivan said Galvin is “the only anti-abortion constitutional officer in Massachusetts. He has supported a constitutional ban on abortion with no exception whatsoever, including rape, incest, and when the life of the mother is at stake. [And] he has also been quoted as saying, ‘I oppose abortion.’”
“As secretary of state, I will fiercely protect the residents of this commonwealth by using the full power of this office,” said Sullivan, a corporate lawyer and the president of NAACP Boston. “When it comes to abortion, I will push back against any and all efforts in the commonwealth and across state lines to criminalize the right to choose when, how, and with whom to start a family.”
Sullivan identified four specific ways she would do this if elected, including requiring that businesses seeking clearance to operate in Massachusetts disclose whether their employee health insurance covers abortions and other reproductive care. Sullivan added that she would make those businesses disclose whether they’ve cooperated with law enforcement agencies seeking to punish abortion recipients or those who’ve assisted them.
“With the power that exists in the office today, my office will compile a reproductive health grade, easily accessible on the statewide website,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan also promised to force lobbyists to more fully describe their activities to monitor anti-abortion activity on Beacon Hill; fight the disclosure of public records that could lead to harassment or prosecution of abortion recipients and providers; and explore using the Massachusetts Securities Act, which protects investors from fraudulent practices, to sanction anti-abortion pregnancy centers that act deceptively to attract patients.
In partnership with the next attorney general, Sullivan vowed, “We will make sure their advertising is truthful, and seek to add disclaimers where necessary to minimize fraud and deception.”
The proposals detailed by Sullivan were previously outlined in a column she wrote that was published by Commonwealth Magazine earlier this week.
In an interview with GBH News, Galvin pushed back sharply at Sullivan’s characterization of his stance on abortion.
“Her assertions are based on voting histories going back to the '80s,” Galvin said. “I’ve made very clear during the debates we’ve had that I support — fully — the right of women to make decisions for themselves. … Her characterization, I reject completely.”
He added that a new state reproductive-rights law — which tasks the secretary of state with protecting the personal information of Massachusetts abortion providers — proves that the Massachusetts Legislature views him as a dependable partner.
“They would not have entrusted that to me if they did not trust me,” Galvin said.
Galvin also said his own attempts to push for more lobbyist disclosure have been challenged in court; that using securities law to target anti-abortion pregnancy centers would likely be ineffective; and that targeting corporate entities that don’t support abortion rights is a bad idea, legally and ethically.
“You would run up against the Commerce Cause of the federal constitution if they were an out-of-state company,” he said. “You would run up against the First Amendment.
“If you want to do the same thing as [Florida Gov.] Ron DeSantis is attempting to do with Disney World, then what you’re basically saying is, 'It’s OK to take advantage of corporate laws to try to advance some social policy, whatever that policy is,'” Galvin added. “I don’t think that’s the right way to persuade people.”
Galvin's last Democratic primary opponent, former Boston City Councilor Josh Zakim, also made Galvin's record on abortion a central campaign issue in 2018. Like Sullivan, Zakim was endorsed by the Massachusetts Democratic Party at its nominating convention. But Galvin easily won the primary election and a seventh term in office.
