New York state enacted one of the nation’s strongest protections for abortion rights Tuesday, a move that state leaders say was needed to safeguard those rights should the U.S. Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade.
The Democrat-led Senate and Assembly passed the bill Tuesday, the 46th anniversary of the Roe decision. Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo immediately signed it into law. At his side at a hastily arranged signing ceremony was Sarah Weddington, the Texas attorney who successfully argued Roe before the nation’s highest court.
“Thank you for what you’ve done for women,” she told Cuomo and the assembled lawmakers and advocates who worked for years to pass the bill.
Known as the Reproductive Health Act, the measure replaces a 1970 state abortion law that was passed three years before Roe legalized abortion nationwide. It codifies many abortion rights laid out in Roe and other court rulings, including a provision permitting late-term abortions when a woman’s health is endangered. The previous law, which was in conflict with Roe and other subsequent abortion rulings, only permitted abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy if a woman’s life was at risk.
The new law also authorizes physician assistants to perform some abortions and moves the section of state law dealing with abortion from the penal code to health statutes.
Nine other states including California, Washington and Oregon have already put protections for abortion rights in their state statute, giving them a legal backstop should Roe be overturned.
Abortion rights supporters had pushed for years to update the law to reflect those rulings only to be blocked in the state Senate, long controlled by Republicans. But big election gains put Democrats in charge of the Senate this year, and the act easily cleared both chambers. Supporters said the election of Republican President Donald Trump — and his nomination of conservative justices — helped galvanize the effort.
“We have a president who has made it very, very clear that he wants to overturn Roe v. Wade,” said the Senate’s new leader, Democrat Andrea Stewart-Cousins of Yonkers, who vowed to make the bill an early priority in 2019. “Today in New York we are saying ‘No. Not here in New York.’”
Opponents lamented the enactment of the act, which some predicted would lead to an increase in late-term abortion. Others argued that the new law could make it harder for prosecutors to bring charges when a woman is assaulted and loses her pregnancy.
“Today, New York state has added a sad chapter to this already solemn date of January 22, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade,” the state’s Catholic bishops said in a statement.
Republicans in the Senate tried to derail the bill and offered up proposals to create new legal penalties for harming a pregnant woman. They were joined at a press conference Tuesday morning by Livia Abreu, an Army veteran and Bronx resident whose ex-boyfriend stabbed her last year, ending her 26-week pregnancy. The man faces multiple charges, including violations of the state’s 1970 law. Abreu said repealing the law would tie the hands of prosecutors in similar future cases.
“The loss of my daughter will be a non-factor,” she said.
Supporters of the bill rejected those concerns, noting that the 1973 abortion law is rarely used in domestic violence cases and that charges including assault, aggravated assault and attempted murder could still be sought.
(AP)
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26 Responses
Misleading headline. What’s the “horror”? You were quiet when our wonderful askanim were publicly telling the sheeple here in New York to “get with the program” (that is exactly what C.B. told me when I called him on the Zev Brenner show) and vote Democrat during the last elections. “A vote for a Republican is a wasted vote”. They even threw Marty Golden under the bus. This is just the outcome of those sage piece of advice. Thank you Agudah and FJCC for misleading the lemechels. Thank you for showing the entire nation what we’re made of. See Orthodox Jew – See partial birth abortion. Yay. Enjoy the fruits of your labor!
From what I understand, Halacha also permits late term abortions if the mothers health is threatened.
Some depth would be nice to see from these headlines.
In the article it states that the law enables late term abortions if a women’s health is in danger. Unless I’m missing something here, I see no problem with that.
But it is absolutely disgusting to murder babies who are 24 weeks of age. Abortion that is not about the mother’s physical health is nothing more than legalized murder.
as frum yiddin how bad is this ? i’m thinking out loud
1. is there a mitzva for a yid to interfere in how the nations live
2. do goyim doing issurim effect the shefa hashem bestows on the world ( like toavos as seen by noach..)
3. are there any benefits to society if the damage of living hefkerus is limited
Not sure what the surprise is about. It was only a matter of time.
I’m actually hoping we can do RETROACTIVE ABORTION so we have a good way to get rid of Governor Cuomo! Just think of it? Retroactive abortion. Sounds great!
Cuomo, waging an imaginary war with President Trump.
Ever wonder why Roe v. Wade requires “protection” while the 2nd amendment of the CONSTITUTION is trampled and ignored.
Democrat Party main platform promotes genocide, destruction of traditional family values and religious freedoms, not to mention their stance on Israel and Jews and warming to Jihadists. Any Jews who joins this party in essence is erav rav.
“SHAME” on them…
The sins of the liberals will lead to their downfall. We will see fully developed babies being murdered because the labor preceding birth didn’t start yet.
They are still better than the Romans, who not only allowed infanticide, but also allowed the head of the family to murder children at any age (so your 30-year old grandson is turning out all wrong, lop his head off with the state’s blessing).
Of course, we should ask how a Jew can also be a Democrat. How is this all that different from asking how a German could support the National Socialists once he knew the party favored genocide, only now we are the ones getting asked rather than the ones getting killed.
as the Rav ztl predicted over 40 years ago, widespread euthanasia and withholding medical treatment from babies born with crippling deformities will follow. the sanctity of life is disappearing before our very eyes.
satmar rebbe and his followers voted for this fool
Be proud, Jewish Democrats. Our history hasn’t been kind to peopke like this.
What else did you expect? Keep on voting democrat and NY state is doomed!
Maybe Frum community should start looking for a red state to move to?
Oh wait, that won’t help because we’ll probably tilt it blue….
Why not authorize after birth as well once you’re at it? Sick liberals.
Disgusting
Horror indeed.
That a Jewish site would follow and promote the Christian belief that action is murder.
For those of us who follow תורת אמת, abortion is fully permitted when a the mother’s health is in danger, the fetus is then considered a רודף
And it’s exactly what the NYS law says.
It should be noted that late term abortion when a woman life is not in danger is illegal in the United States
“…when a woman’s life is endangered” – this is Leftspeak for when “a doctor” determines that even her mental health will be affected by this.
A doctor who was treating me for psoriasis believed in abortion. I told this to a great frum friend of mine in Lakewood, N.J. The rabbi replied: “Ask him (doctor) if his mother believed in abortion !!”
A goy,
Gerry Mullen
This law isn’t about protecting critically endangered mothers. It’s about radical secularism. Most libs believe a 9 month old fetus isn’t a life.
1, “Most libs believe a 9 month old fetus isn’t a life.” That is true. They believe a fetus is not a baby even if it could live on its own after delivery, certainly if it would require medical intervention even if it would go on to develop normally, somehow since it’s still in the mother’s womb they deem it ok to be killed according to their twisted logic.
It is also likely true that this is not about the health of critically endangered mothers. Knowing the thought process of liberals, a mother who claims to have depression will probably be able to have an abortion due to her “mental health”.
cpr but the state law says it’s allowed, regardless
Can someone please explain the difference between the after & before?
“It codifies many abortion rights laid out in Roe and other court rulings, including a provision permitting late-term abortions when a woman’s health is endangered.”
“The previous law, which was in conflict with Roe and other subsequent abortion rulings, only permitted abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy if a woman’s life was at risk.”
Esav being stupid, what’s new ?
@roshvrishon facts
@cpr actually abortion when the mother is not at risk of dying is one of the Sheva mitzvos bnei noach so it’s very much our belief not to enable this law which allows abortion for ill health.