Governor Kathy Hochul of New York responded Friday morning to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade by declaring her state a “safe haven” for those seeking abortions and abortions. reaffirm her commitment to abortion rights.
Hours later, Hochul, a Democrat who was the state’s first female governor, announced an advertising campaign and a revamped website that would inform women in New York and across the country about their right to abortion in the state and the potential resources available to them.
“This is amazing on every level,” Hochul said Friday of the ruling, speaking at a groundbreaking ceremony for the Stonewall National Monument’s visitor center in Manhattan.
She said it was a “dark day for women across this country” who have “long struggled for control of their own lives.” The ruling means women will be forced to get pregnant “forced by the government”, she added.
Hochul and Democratic state legislators took steps last month to strengthen state abortion laws After it became clear, the Supreme Court was ready to overturn the Roe v. Wade case.
Governor announced a $35 million fund for reproductive health clinics, in part to help them address the expected surge in out-of-state patients seeking access to abortions. .
The State Legislature also passed bills to protect health care providers from being charged in other states or penalized for providing abortion services.
New York legalized abortion in 1970, three years before Roe’s lawsuit against Wade was decided. Government quickly became a sanctuary for those seeking abortions at a time when a patchwork of restrictive laws in each state forces many women to travel elsewhere for the procedure.
Many abortion providers in New York have had to prepare for an influx of out-of-state patients.
“Despite knowing this was imminent, it was still a reaction of shock and disappointment,” said Chelsea Faso, a family physician providing abortion care in New York City.
“It’s an attack on the body’s autonomy, on the very personal relationship between patients and their providers, between patients and their lives,” Dr. Faso said.
Groups to help process seekers arrange travel, meals, childcare and accommodation have also been prepared.
“The truth is that it won’t be possible to help everyone who deserves it,” said Odile Schalit, chief executive officer of Brigid Alliance, a New York-based group that helps with the logistics of abortions. supported by us.
“But we and our partners are ready to scale and will do everything in our power to help abortion seekers overcome the terrible obstacles they face.” she said.
Planned Parenthood of Greater New York announced in a call Friday that it plans to expand its services across the state, tapping into its network of abortion providers, hiring more healthcare professionals and mobilize educators.
Joy D. Calloway, the organization’s interim chief executive, called the Supreme Court’s decision “a continuation of racism, sexism and economic injustice in a country with a history of permanently deprive people of their personal autonomy”.
New York lawmakers before this year had planned for a future in which Roe’s lawsuit against Wade was overturned.
In 2019, after then-President Donald J. Trump appointed two conservative justices to the Supreme Court, New York passed the Reproductive Health Act, which regulates abortion rights, expanding access to procedure and allow abortion after 24 weeks to protect the health of the mother or if the fetus is not viable.
Ms. Hochul, now running in her first term, has made the battle for abortion rights and her efforts to strengthen and protect those rights in New York a key part of her campaign.
“I want people to know that abortion is still safe, accessible and legal in New York,” Ms. Hochul said Friday. “Our state will always be a safe haven for those seeking access to abortion care.”
The legislation she signed puts New York at the forefront of a group of left-wing states that are trying to implement abortion protections, compared with more conservative states that have imposed restrictions on abortion rights. pregnancy or ban the procedure altogether.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement that “abortion seekers across the country” are “welcome here.”
Mr. Adams, a Democrat, later said at a rally on the steps of City Hall that he got his girlfriend pregnant at the age of 15 and she had an abortion. His spokesman did not provide further details.
Mr. Adams said he wanted to keep the baby, but his girlfriend was worried about their future. “She made a smart decision for both of us,” the mayor said. “She made the right call because she was in power. She was in control. “
