In a historic move for Alaska, the House of Representatives voted against a budget amendment aimed at restricting Medicaid coverage for abortions for the first time in over 25 years.
On Monday, the amendment fell short by a single vote, receiving just 20 votes from Republicans, while 21 were needed for approval.
This budget language, which has been part of the state budget since at least 2001, sought to limit state funding for abortions to only those deemed “mandatory services” under Medicaid.
The failed amendment was proposed by Rep. Sarah Vance, R-Homer, who emphasized the need to preserve life in her comments.
“The courts have weighed in on this issue, and it is the value and the principle of Alaskans that we preserve life,” she stated.
Despite the defeat of the amendment, the significance lies not just in the voting outcome but in the changing dynamics within the House.
Hours after the failure regarding abortion, the House passed a different amendment concerning gender dysphoria care for transgender Alaskans.
This amendment passed 21-19 along strict party lines, with Republican members from both the coalition majority and the minority joining forces to support it.
While these actions are not final until approved by the state Senate, they hold substantial symbolic weight, particularly as the Alaska House has historically sought to impose restrictions on abortion access following a landmark 1997 Alaska Supreme Court ruling that affirmed abortion rights under the state constitution’s privacy clause.
For years, lawmakers have attempted to modify budget amendments to restrict Medicaid funding for abortion, often limiting access to those procedures deemed medically necessary.
However, previous efforts have been largely ineffective since Alaska law allows doctors to classify procedures as medically necessary using simple forms, and attempts to define this term more narrowly have faced legal challenges.
In one notable case, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that using different definitions for abortion violated the right to equal protection under the state constitution.
This year’s amendment culminated in a pivotal moment, hinging on the vote of Rep. Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak, who initially supported it but reversed her decision before voting concluded.
Stutes later articulated her concerns, stating, “I’m just trying to do the right thing, and putting it in the budget is the wrong thing.
Aside from the fact that I believe the state doesn’t belong between a woman and her doctor—and our state constitution protects that—I think the intent language, if it were enforced, it’s unconstitutional.
So it’s kind of meaningless to put it in the budget.”
In sharp contrast to the abortion amendment’s defeat, the House’s passage of the gender dysphoria amendment raised alarms among supporters of transgender rights.
Concerns linger regarding the ramifications of this newly adopted language.
Although a 2021 lawsuit resulted in a federal ruling mandating that Alaska’s Medicaid program cover gender-affirming care, the issue has not yet been addressed by the Alaska Supreme Court, leaving this area of law less established compared to abortion rights.
“We’re grateful that for the first time in recent memory, the House did not insert the harmful and performative amendment aimed at stripping patients with low incomes access to coverage for abortion,” remarked Rose O’Hara-Jolley, Alaska state director for Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates.
She further expressed, “Unfortunately, the same body adopted an equally harmful and performative amendment attacking gender-affirming health care.
We urge the body not to adopt either amendment in its final version—we’re relying on them to stand with all Alaskans, regardless of their income or gender identity.”
Debate in the House continued on additional amendments to the state’s operating budget as lawmakers grapple with these critical health care issues.
image source from：https://alaskapublic.org/news/politics/2025-04-16/alaska-house-votes-down-symbolic-antiabortion-budget-language-passes-amendment-against-trans-care
