HELENA – The governor has vetoed a Republican bill aimed at making sure abortion isn’t covered by insurance offered under the federal health care overhaul.
Gov. Brian Schweitzer vetoed Senate Bill 176 on Monday. He says the measure violates Montana’s constitutional guarantee of a right to privacy and access to reproductive health care.
The federal law calls for state-run health care exchanges that offer people a choice of health plans. The bill proposed prohibiting those plans from covering abortion services.
Each chamber needs a two-thirds vote to overturn the veto.
House Republicans may have enough votes to do so on this typically partisan issue.
But it could be difficult to get enough votes in the Senate. The measure cleared the chamber in February with a 27-22 vote.
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