Governor McKee Urges Passage of Women’s Reproductive Health Funding in His Proposed FY27 Budget
Published on Tuesday, March 31, 2026
PROVIDENCE, RI — Governor Dan McKee today urged passage of the $600,000 investment in Planned Parenthood included in his proposed FY27 budget to protect critical access to women’s health services. The proposal comes in response to funding cuts advanced by President Trump and his allies in Congress.
“We are closing out Women’s History Month today with a message to anyone who threatens women’s access to basic health services: Not on my watch,” said Governor McKee. “As Governor, I will always stand up to protect reproductive health care.”
Joining the Governor’s call for action were Senate President Valarie Lawson, Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, the Reproductive Freedom Alliance, the RI Coalition for Reproductive Freedom, and other women’s health advocates.
Senate President Lawson added, “Together, we are reaffirming our ongoing commitment to women’s reproductive health, and we are sending a clear message that Rhode Island will not abide efforts to undermine the rights, or the values, of its people. I am so grateful to the many leaders, advocates, and partners who work tirelessly to support Rhode Island’s women and families.”
The Governor’s budget proposal builds on his record of supporting women’s health. Governor McKee signed the Equality in Abortion Coverage Act, which ensures state-funded health insurance plans cover abortion services and eliminates restrictions that previously excluded coverage from state employee health insurance and Medicaid. He also signed the Health Care Provider Shield Act, which protects providers of reproductive and transgender care from civil and criminal penalties.
Planned Parenthood of Southern New England Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer Gretchen Raffa said, “We are grateful to Governor McKee for his leadership in protecting reproductive freedom and prioritizing funding for preventive reproductive health care at Planned Parenthood of Southern New England (PPSNE) in his proposed FY 27 budget. Each year, thousands of patients rely on PPSNE’s Providence Health Center and telehealth for cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, birth control, and other essential care. State funding will help to stabilize health care access for PPSNE patients, as Planned Parenthood continues to fight back against the federal ‘defund’ provision in H.R. 1 and other cruel actions by the Trump administration and its backers in Congress. We look forward to the General Assembly passing the budget that includes this crucial funding so patients in Rhode Island can continue to access care from their trusted health care provider at PPSNE.”
Governor McKee is one of more than 20 governors involved in the national group, the Reproductive Freedom Alliance, committed to strengthening women’s health in the U.S.
“The Reproductive Freedom Alliance was built on the idea of governors working together and leading the fight to protect access to reproductive health care across the country. Governor McKee’s proposal to strengthen support for Planned Parenthood is exactly what that leadership looks like in action,” said Christina Chang, Executive Director of the Reproductive Freedom Alliance. “This investment would help ensure Rhode Islanders can continue to access essential reproductive healthcare, and we’re proud to partner with him in advancing that work.”
Dr. Beth Cronin of the RI Coalition for Reproductive Freedom said, “ACOG recognizes Governor McKee's dedication to reproductive health care by inclusion of funding for Planned Parenthood of Southern New England in his proposed budget. PPSNE is an essential health center in our state. It would be next to impossible to absorb the 15,500 annual visits at PPSNE into already stretched, busy clinics across the state without patients waiting unacceptable lengths of time for care. This would delay access to contraception, cervical cancer or breast cancer screening, STI testing and treatment, as well as other routine gynecologic care. Ultimately, this would mean unplanned pregnancies, delayed cancer diagnosis, untreated STIs, unmanaged bleeding, and pain—this is unacceptable.”