New York State Governor Kathy Hochul expressed her commitment to bolstering the state’s abortion protections on Tuesday following the release of a leaked draft opinion that suggests the U.S. Supreme Court might overturn Roe v. Wade.
Hochul said her policy team is considering legislative and executive actions to increase protections for providers who might offer abortion services to women from out-of-state if abortion legalization is put in the hands of state governments.
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“Under my direction, The Department of Health is working closely with experts and advocates to issue regulations to ensure that telemedicine abortion is available here, to offer clear guidance to providers and provide information to patients about their right to abortion,” Hochul said. “Let me be clear. We’re not playing defense. We’re playing offense. So my message to women all across this country is that New York, the state of New York, will always be there for anyone who needs reproductive health care, including an abortion,” said Hochul, according to News10 NBC.
Hochul pointed out that abortion was legalized in New York in 1970- three years before the procedure was legalized at the federal level. She previously stated that the state budget requires health care plans in New York to cover abortion services.
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