A constitutional amendment that would include access to contraception and the right to an abortion was approved by the New York State Legislature on Friday. The first step toward including the wording in the New York Constitution was taken with the amendment’s passing on Friday. Before the amendment can go into force, lawmakers must pass it once more during the following year’s legislative session, and voters must approve it in a referendum.
The preservation of rights pertaining to pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, reproductive health care, and autonomy are particularly mentioned in the amendment’s text. Part of it states: “No person shall be subjected to any discrimination in [his or her] civil rights by any other person or by any firm, corporation, or institution, or by the State or any agency or subdivision of the State, based upon race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, creed [or], religion, or sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy.
New York Governor said she will convene an extraordinary session of the Legislature to consider enshrining abortion access in the state’s constitution and to enact a package of gun safety measures.https://t.co/Ij4MLUa6iX
— Hindustan Times (@htTweets) July 1, 2022
The amendment was approved by the state Senate 49–14 on Friday, and the state Assembly 98–43 that same evening. At an earlier news conference on Friday, Democratic Governor of New York Kathy Hochul stated that including abortion rights in the state constitution “is going to secure reproductive health in the state of New York for decades to come.”
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Hochul commended state Democratic leaders for “pushing this vital protection forward, expanding on our nation-leading protections for abortion patients and providers” after the legislature took action. No matter who you love, where you come from, or how you choose to express yourself, you are welcome here and we will protect you, she said in a statement.
“In a moment of global divide, New York is striving to enshrine that into our very Constitution,” she added. This week, Hochul called a special session of the legislature to begin the process of enshrining abortion rights and approve more legislation restricting the carrying of concealed guns in New York. Both were a reaction to recent rulings by the US Supreme Court.
The 1973 Roe v. Wade decision was reversed by the supreme court recently, and a state statute that prohibited carrying a concealed firearm outside the home was also repealed.
