Gov. Wes Moore says Maryland will continue with abortion access

(WASHINGTON) — Maryland Gov. Wes Moore detailed his plan to protect abortion access after his announcement that his state will stockpile abortion pills in the wake of a federal court ruling.

“Maryland is going to lead on this,” Moore pledged Sunday in an exclusive interview on This Week.

On Friday, Moore, who is roughly three months into his first term as governor, announced the state would begin stockpiling mifepristone after a judge struck down FDA approval of the abortion pill. On Wednesday, a federal judge put a temporary stay on that order, leaving a split decision for that the Supreme Court could decide on.

“Maryland is going to be a state where we are going to protect reproductive health and reproductive rights,” Moore told co-anchor Jonathan Karl. “We passed three bills that was focusing on things like increasing access, increasing privacy, and also making sure that when people come to Maryland they’re not going to be criminalized.”

Next November, Maryland voters will vote on a constitutional amendment to protect the right to an abortion.

Also high on the governor’s agenda is public safety, with Moore noting the state suffered an increase in shootings and homicides over the last decade. Moore highlighted Maryland’s budget, which put $107 million towards mental health and $122 million into local law enforcement.

“This is an all of the above approach in the way that we’re looking at public safety,” Moore said.

Moore has been open in the past about his own experience being arrested when he was 11.

“I was spray painting and trying to leave my mark on the world via a spray paint can,” Moore said Sunday. “People showed me that there was another way to leave your mark on the world.”

Moore says second chances, including joining the Army, helped lead him to the path of becoming governor.

“The reason I wanted to run for governor in the first place is I said ‘we can actually build a new type of legal system and politics in our state and one that says this is not about how we’re going to exclude, but how we’re going to include.”

The Maryland Democrat specifically cited his proposal that would allow an optional year of public service for high school graduates as an opportunity for young people who might otherwise choose the wrong path.

“This is going to redefine patriotism in the state of Maryland,” Moore said. “Being a patriot means lifting your neighbors up, not tearing them down.”

The plan passed Maryland’s legislature April 10, and would be funded by the state budget, federal agencies and private sector partners.