ALBANY, New York (WWNY) – Governor Kathy Hochul says New York “will always be a place where abortion rights are protected and where abortion is safe and accessible.”
Hochul was reacting to a report that the Supreme Court is ready to overturn the ruling which makes abortion legal nationwide.
The web site Politico reported late Monday that a draft opinion of a majority of Supreme Court justices strikes down the landmark Roe V. Wade decision which legalized abortion in all 50 states, 49 years ago.
“We have been fighting this battle for too long. I refuse to go backwards. I refuse to let my new granddaughter have to fight for the rights generations have fought for and won, rights that she should be guaranteed,” Hochul said in a statement.
The leak of the draft opinion is unprecedented in Supreme Court history, and brought swift reaction from Republican leadership in congress – including north country congresswoman Elise Stefanik.
They said the leak is an attempt to intimidate the justices and “must be immediately investigated by the court.”
“There is nothing more special, extraordinary, and worth fighting for than the miracle of life,” Stefanik, who is the number three Republican in the House of Representatives, Steve Scalise, the number two, and Kevin McCarthy, who leads the Republican minority in the House, said in a joint statement.
Stefanik has said she is is pro-life.
Both of her Democratic opponents took issue with the draft opinion.
Matt Putorti said “Congress must codify the right to abortion in federal law,” as did Matt Castelli, who said “we need federal law to protect that right for every American.”
Kirsten Gillibrand, the Democratic U.S. Senator from New York, said in a statement “As we approach the midterm elections, it is absolutely critical that Democrats turn out in record numbers to maintain our majorities.
Should Tuesday’s report prove accurate, a Supreme Court decision reversing Roe v. Wade will trigger abortion bans in several states, and likely prompt abortion opponents to press for congress to enact a nationwide ban on the procedure.
“At the state level, Democrats must enact strong pro-choice legislation where we currently have control,” Gillibrand said.
“In purple and red states, we must fight tooth and nail to flip legislatures and pass legislation guaranteeing reproductive rights, including access to abortion. There is no state where a majority of the public supports a federal ban on abortion.”
The state’s Conservative Party applauded the leaked decision.
““We are hopeful that this leaked decision actually comes to pass. It would have a profound impact on how life is valued in every state in the land.”
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