BOSTON (WHDH) - Gov. Charlie Baker said businesses could to relocate to Massachusetts in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade as Planned Parenthood officials said they were seeing an uptick in out-of-state patients.

Baker said that Massachusetts stands ready to welcome companies who want to go one step further in helping their employees seeking abortions by relocating to the state.

“There may in fact be a big opportunity here for Massachusetts to encourage some employers to either come here or expand their footprint here. Because we are a state that takes this issue seriously and will be there for their employees when they need those kinds of protective services and supports,” said Baker.

Several companies such as Apple, Disney, and Starbucks have promised financial help for employees seeking abortions in states that have banned the procedure after the Supreme Court struck down constitutional protections for abortion. According to Planned Parenthood of Massachusetts, Friday’s ruling sparked an increase in calls from women in states now banning abortion inquiring about coming to the state for the procedure.

“We are seeing and even over the weekend we saw an uptick in phone calls from other states, so, we do expect that patients will find their way to Massachusetts and we’ll be ready to take care of them,” said Jennifer Childs-Roshak, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Massachusetts.

(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Join our Newsletter for the latest news right to your inbox