Before one can have an abortion in Massachusetts, there is a form they must fill out.
It's called an informed consent form. Typically, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, "Informed consent is the process in which a health care provider educates a patient about the risks, benefits, and alternatives of a given procedure or intervention." In addition to health care procedures in Massachusetts, it applies to abortion.
Over the last century, Massachusetts has bucked national trends by moving away from county government. While county government prevails in over 45 states, the Commonwealth has doubled down on a model of local home rule and a strong, centralized state government — bypassing and, in the case of eight of the 14 counties, completely eliminating county government.
There are a multitude of advantages county government can provide, though, and Massachusetts may be missing out.
