New York bolstered legal protections Monday for those seeking and those providing abortions in the state in a bid to become a national "safe harbor" ahead of a Supreme Court decision that could see the federal right to abortion overturned.
Gov. Kathy Hochul vowed to protect abortion access for all after signing a six-bill package including measures aimed at protecting abortion seekers and providers from out-of-state legal actions.
“Reproductive rights are human rights, and today we are signing landmark legislation to further protect them and all who wish to access them in New York State,” Hochul, a Democrat, said in a statement.
She said the new measures aimed to "protect our service providers from the retaliatory actions of anti-abortion states and ensure that New York will always be a safe harbor for those seeking reproductive healthcare."
"New York has always been a beacon for those yearning to be free. And I want the world to hear — loud and clear — that will not change," Hochul said.
The package also includes a measure directing the state Department of Health commissioner to conduct a study examining the impact of limited service pregnancy centers.
The new measures come ahead of the Supreme Court decision in a pending Mississippi case that could overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that enshrined the right to abortion in the U.S.
A draft opinion indicating that the Supreme Court plans to overturn Roe was leaked in May, with the court confirming the document's authenticity.
More than 20 states across the U.S. have so-called trigger laws in place that would restrict or criminalize abortion if Roe, which currently renders them unconstitutional, were to be reversed.
In a tweet, the White House Gender Policy Council thanked Hochul for ushering in the new measures aimed at protecting abortion access in New York, including for those coming from out of state.
The New York State Catholic Conference condemned the effort, accusing the state of seeking to "encourage abortion tourism."
“At a time when women and children need more support than ever, we are disappointed to see New York continue to focus on promoting abortion," Kristen Curran, director of government relations for the Catholic Conference, said in a statement Monday.
"This package of bills seeks to encourage abortion tourism, rather than helping women and children who may be in need," she said. "As a state that claims to value autonomy and choice, New York should stop presenting abortion as the best and only option for struggling women, and harassing any pro-life pregnancy center that may help women keep their babies. This abortion-or-nothing narrative only demeans women.”
Hochul, a staunch defender of abortion rights, has remained defiant in the face of criticism from anti-abortion advocates, writing in a tweet aimed at "those who are trying to take away the fundamental right to an abortion: Not here. Not now. Not ever."
