Rhode Island legislators have passed a divisive bill mandating that taxpayer-funded insurance programs be used to cover abortion expenses, prompting a response by Bishop Joseph Strickland.

“Apology would be a good step but what is truly needed is repentance,” Strickland, bishop of Tyler, Texas, said on Twitter. “Woe to those who destroy innocent life.” 

Rhode Island lawmakers have passed a controversial bill that requires programs like Medicaid and government employee health insurance plans to provide coverage for abortion costs, which will be funded by taxpayers, the Associated Press reported. Gov. Dan McKee signed the bill into law last week after it received Senate approval with a vote of 24-12. The legislation had previously passed the House in April by a margin of 49-24, as reported by the Associated Press.

Rhode Island's previous abortion law mandated coverage for abortions in specific cases, such as risk to the mother’s life, by the state's Medicaid programs and health insurance for state employees. However, this new legislation removes the restriction on taxpayer-funded insurance covering elective abortions. This change makes Rhode Island one of 16 other states where Medicaid programs provide abortion coverage, the Associated Press report said.

The measure drew criticism because it requires taxpayers, regardless of their own moral conviction, to pay for abortions, the Associated Press said. A recent report by Life News indicates that 60% of Americans are opposed to the use of taxpayer funds for funding abortions. Rep. Charlene M. Lima, who supports a woman's right to choose, shared her opinion on the issue, stating that it is morally unjust for the state to force taxpayers with personal or religious objections to abortion to financially support it. 

McKee’s budget plan for the fiscal year 2024 includes a projected $622,000 in funding to add abortion coverage to Rhode Island’s Medicaid program and to the insurance coverage for state employees, the Associated Press said.