Gotham Gazette

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Abortion

Abortion

  • After Second Legislative Passage, New York State Equal Rights Amendment To Go Before Voters in 2024

    Gov. Hochul signs abortion rights legislation (photo: Governor's Office)


    Voters in the fall of 2024 will have a chance to enshrine civil rights protections for women, LGBTQ people, and abortion access into the state constitution after lawmakers on Tuesday pass the New York State Equal Rights Amendment for the second time.

    If approved by voters, the state constitution will for the first time prohibit discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, national origin, disability, and sex, "including pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes,

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  • As General Election for Governor Heats Up, Zeldin's Congressional Votes Contrast with New York Public Opinion

    Rep. Lee Zeldin on the campaign trail (photo: @leezeldin)


    As Republican U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin runs to become New York Governor, he has made the core planks of his general election campaign crime and cost of living. Meanwhile, he has sought to further energize his base to “fire” Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul over a lack of public safety, high taxes, her role as Lieutenant Governor, and more.

    But as the fall general election approaches, Zeldin has continued to take votes in Congress that signify

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  • Frontline Nurses are Ready to Fight for Reproductive Rights in New York and Beyond

    Gov. Hochul makes an abortion access announcement (photo: Kevin P. Coughlin/Governor's Office)


    Since March 2020, health-care workers in New York have been on the front lines. Resilience, service, and a fierce commitment to delivering high-quality care to our patients guided us through the darkest days of the pandemic.

    Due to the heroism of my co-workers and with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul’s administration, two years later we now stand ready to continue providing abortion care and set an example for the nation

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  • The Decimation of Roe Makes the Need for Affordable Housing More Urgent Than Ever

    An abortion rights rally in New York (photo: Mike Groll/Governor's Office)


    The Supreme Court’s horrific decision to overturn Roe is not only a severe blow to women’s autonomy over their bodies, it is a powerful reminder that addressing the real impacts of sexism and gender inequality is not on the national agenda as much as it should be.

    Right now, women — especially women already living paycheck to paycheck — are at serious risk of falling off the economic cliff, resulting in dire consequences not just for them, but for their families and communities. For most people, including women, housing

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  • The Right to Reproductive Health in the Wake of Roe

    Health care (photo: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)


    The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is an affront to the key principles of United States citizenry by failing to protect the life, liberty, autonomy, and health of those who can become pregnant. The recent cascade of total bans or severe restrictions on abortion is not based on science, but ideological biases, and is clearing a legislative path to a draconian future in reproductive freedom and health.

    The ramifications of this decision on health

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  • Supreme Court Rulings Put Gun Control and Abortion at Center of New York Elections

    A rally in support of abortion rights (photo: Mike Groll/Governor's Office)


    The U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority issued two major rulings this past week, overturning Roe v. Wade federal abortion rights and striking down a New York State law that limited the concealed carrying of firearms. Both judgements have sprawling national implications, including as this year’s elections will decide control of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, with several swing races here in New York.

    The decisions have also brought abortion rights and gun control to the forefront in the middle of a

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  • Republican Gubernatorial Primary Debates Rife with Misinformation about 2020 Election, January 6 Insurrection, Covid, and More

    Republican primary debate in race for NY Governor (photo: pool)


    The four Republican candidates running for governor have faced off in three debates ahead of the June 28 primary, each attempting to set themselves apart from the others and from the Democratic governor, Kathy Hochul, who they want to replace. But in their appeals to the party faithful, three of the candidates have indulged in misinformation, half-truths, and outright lies about the 2020 presidential election, the January 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol insurrection, the covid vaccine, criminal justice reforms in

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  • As End of Albany Session Approaches, Legislators Near Consensus on New York Equal Rights Amendment Including Abortion Protections

    A rally for reproductive rights (photo: Don Pollard / Governor’s Office)


    Momentum is building behind an Equal Rights Amendment to the New York State Constitution that would enshrine reproductive rights and a range of anti-discrimination protections into the state's highest governing document.

    Versions of the amendment have circulated in the Legislature for years without being reconciled among the two chambers, the Senate and Assembly. But it has gained new urgency with the expected U.S. Supreme Court demise of Roe v. Wade, as states look to shore up their own abortion

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  • Max Politics Podcast: Assemblymember and Nurse Karines Reyes on New York Abortion Rights and the Future of Roe

     
    An abortion rights rally in Albany (photo: Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul)


    May 4, 2022 - Max Politics Podcast: Assemblymember Karines Reyes on New York Abortion Rights and the Future of Roe

    Assembly Member Karines Reyes, a registered nurse who represents the Bronx’s 87th District in the State Assembly, joined the show to discuss the potential Supreme Court nullification of Roe v. Wade reproductive rights, New York's abortion laws, her personal experiences, and what state elected officials may do in the coming weeks and months to further solidify and expand

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  • Explainer: New York Abortion Rights and Proposals for Additional Pro-Choice Actions

     

    Gov. Hochul speaks at an "abortion justice" event (photo: Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul)


    A draft majority opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court, which was leaked and reported on by Politico on Monday, would strike down the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that granted a federal constitutional right to an abortion. Though the opinion — on Dobbs v. Jackson

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  • The Deadly Context and Ominous Consequences of The Texas Abortion Law

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    Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, the author (photo: Rodneyse Bichotte/Facebook)


    Abortion is a matter of life and death for a woman. Those who are pro-choice like me know that access to safe abortion care can prevent a woman from losing her life, and restrictions can - and are - ending it. And for Black women like me, who know what it’s like to lose a child because of maternal healthcare inequities, this is a nightmare that’s only going to get worse.

    Women pioneers fought tirelessly

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  • As the Future of Roe Hangs in the Balance, New York City and Albany Must Act to Protect Abortion Access for All

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    Gov. Hochul leads a press conference on abortion rights (photo: Don Pollard/Governor’s Office)


    In response to the recent ban in Texas and upcoming Supreme Court case, Governor Kathy Hochul declared New York ...

  • City Council Holds Hearing on Sexual and Reproductive Right

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    City Council Member Helen Rosenthal, right (photo: John McCarten/City Council)


    New York City Council Members will hold an oversight hearing Wednesday on “sexual and reproductive rights in New York City” and consider a package of legislation on those subjects, at a joint hearing of the Council’s Committee on Health and Committee on Women and Gender Equity. 

    The bills cover a wide range of

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  • A Threat to the Right to Abortion Anywhere is a Threat to Abortion Everywhere

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    (photo: Ed Reed/Mayor's Office)


    The fight for safe, legal abortion started long before Roe v. Wade legalized abortion care. Planned Parenthood of New York City and all Planned Parenthood affiliates will always stand in solidarity to protect safe, legal abortion. That has not, and will never change. However, we live in a country where health care is deeply politicized -- because politicians have made it that way, even here in New York.

    Abortion is health care, and health care is a fundamental human right. Let me be clear, the same politicians who seek to outlaw

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  • Trump’s State of the Union, Kavanaugh’s Dissent, and the Coordinated Attempt to Ban All Safe, Legal Abortion

    gov cuomo womensrepro

    (photo: Governor's office)


    Last week, new Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh showed his true colors when it comes to access to safe, legal abortion. His dissent in the Louisiana case completely disregarded legal precedent and revealed his hostility to Roe v. Wade and subsequent Supreme Court cases upholding the law.

    Earlier in the week, President Trump used the highest office in the country to continue his misinformed, divisive brand of extremist politics, including by fear-mongering about abortion law in New York. This is not a drill: our

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  • New York Votes for a State Senate that Trusts Women

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    (photo: @PPESVotesPAC)


    This is part of AGENDA 2019, a joint Gotham Gazette-City Limits project
    Find the rest of the series here

    For years reproductive health advocates have pushed to update New York’s antiquated abortion law and increase access to affordable contraception, only to be stalled by our state Senate leadership’s refusal to consider any reproductive health legislation. That roadblock continued despite the federal administration's efforts to drastically

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  • 3 Ways New York Must Advance Reproductive Rights This Year

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    Senator Krueger, the author, with doctors (photo: @jmumfordmd)


    Note: this column was written and published in March, 2018, several months before Democrats won control of the state Senate through the November elections; they will take the majority in January

    On March 13, the New York State Assembly passed three critical bills regarding reproductive health and rights: the Reproductive Health Act (RHA), the “Boss Bill,” and the Comprehensive Contraception Coverage Act (CCCA). Unfortunately, the majority coalition in the State Senate continues to

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  • With Trump in Office, New York Democrats Show Urgency, and Infighting, on Women's Rights

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    Cuomo in 2013, via The Governor's Office on flickr


    With President Donald Trump taking office and Congressional Republicans chipping away at the Affordable Care Act, including a provision that guarantees cost-free birth control, New York’s Democratic lawmakers are scrambling to fortify protections for women on the state level.

    Citing the threat of Trump’s administration, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Saturday that he has instructed the Department of Financial Services -- which regulates insurance companies -- to require commercial insurance

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  • Stand Against Racism, Protect Asian-American Women's Health

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    Council Member Chin, one of the authors (photo: William Alatriste)


    New York City has the opportunity to support Asian-Americans and women's health by opposing deceptively named, so-called "sex-selective abortion bans."

    These attacks on a woman's right to choose are wolves in sheep's clothing. At a glance, such bans might sound like laws meant to further women's rights. But they actually do just the opposite.

    The tragic reality of "son preference" has been a serious issue in some countries, such as India and China, where women do not

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  • Amid Federal Brinksmanship, New York City Officials Redouble Support for Planned Parenthood

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    NYC First Lady Chirlane McCray at a Planned Parenthood rally (photo: @Chirlane) 


    In the face of federal debate and brinksmanship over funding for Planned Parenthood, many in New York City have doubled down on support for the women's health care organization.

    In the past month, the city has seen the...