Governor vetoes bill to improve access to birth control pills

Gov. Mike Dunleavy has vetoed a bill that would have made birth control more accessible to Alaska women.

House Bill 17 would have allowed women to get a year’s worth of prescription birth control at once. Currently, most insurance providers in Alaska cover only up to 90 days’ worth of birth control pills at a time.

At least 24 states and Washington, D.C., have adopted laws enshrining the 12-month rule. Proponents say it is particularly important for rural women who may not be able to visit a pharmacy every 90 days, and for victims of domestic violence. Advocates for the bill also say it could...