We all know the stakes. In just over a hundred days, the American people have been reminded time and time again that this administration does not want everyday people to have access to critical health care. Instead, under the less-than-convincing guise of “Making America Great,” President Donald Trump has halted Title X funding to clinics in 23 states, pardoned violent clinic obstructors and harassers, laid off 20,000 workers from the Department of Health and Human Services and worked to rid the department of its critical Maternal and Child Health Bureau; this — of course, in addition to issuing an executive order reaffirming the Hyde Amendment’s restrictions on federal funding for abortion coverage, terrorizing immigrant families and LGBTQ people, and backing members of Congress who aim to cut 880 billion dollars from the Medicaid program, a program insuring 18 million women, 1.2 million LGBTQ adults and nearly half of the nation’s children.

The impact of these decisions is devastating. People across the country are being denied care based on who they are, where they live, or the type of insurance they have. The hardest hit are working people and families already grappling with health and economic disparities, the very same communities policymakers should be fighting to uplift — not abandon.

Spineless as it may be, and as speechless as this administration’s actions may still leave you — we’ll need every tool in the toolbox at the state-level to both keep hope alive and to fight back!

Despite and amid the gray cloud looming over Washington, Maryland has brought some hope and some progress that reminds us — our communities are more than worthy of basic health care, and that human right includes access to abortion health care without targeted interference or economic barriers. This hope turned into action as Gov. Wes Moore officially signed H.B. 930/S.B. 848 into law, reaffirming Maryland’s bold leadership in advancing reproductive equity.

Last fall, 76% of Marylanders voted in support of a ballot measure to enshrine reproductive freedom in the state Constitution. Now, with this newly signed legislation, lawmakers have followed through on ensuring that legality translates to access by advancing innovative legislative strategies to address cost and coverage barriers that have long pushed care out of reach for too many.

H.B. 930/S.B. 848 reclaims $25 million in surplus funds to fund a grant program that will help provide abortion care to uninsured people. Maryland is saying loudly and proudly: We won’t back down on bodily autonomy and the principles of reproductive freedom and justice.

By establishing the Public Health Abortion Grant Program, the legislature improves access to abortion care clinical services for individuals in the state by standing up a special, nonlapsing fund to provide grants under the program and requiring that certain premium funds collected by health insurance carriers be used to provide coverage and support improving access to abortion care for patients seeking critical care in Maryland.

H.B. 930 is a bold, forward-looking bill that places Maryland on the right side of history, and other states would be wise to take similar action in this climate. Abortion care has always been just one piece of a bigger puzzle of comprehensive reproductive health care that our communities shouldn’t have to struggle to piece-meal together across their reproductive lives. It remains as timely as ever to talk about why protecting abortion access still matters — for safety, for equity, for health and for dignity.

Work can’t end at Maryland’s borders. There are 26 other states with surplus funds in their insurance premium pools. They, too, have the chance to transform those dollars into expanded access to critical health services. Now is the time for bold leadership. States must rise to the challenge, using Maryland’s model as proof that reproductive equity is both possible and necessary in the face of mounting national threats. And we are here to be a partner and make sure every person, regardless of insurance, residence and income can get the quality, life-saving care they need.

We call on our neighbors, advocates and lawmakers across the nation to join us in this fight. Reproductive rights and equity still have a place in this country, and Maryland has proven that we can act with courage and compassion to safeguard them. Together, we can ensure that the right to health care is more than a promise — but a reality for everyone.