{"id":290448,"date":"2023-05-05T16:34:38","date_gmt":"2023-05-05T21:34:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=290448"},"modified":"2023-05-04T23:24:56","modified_gmt":"2023-05-05T04:24:56","slug":"new-york-governor-expanding-abortion-birth-control","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/new-york-governor-expanding-abortion-birth-control\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Terribly misguided’: NY governor signs bills expanding abortion pills and birth control"},"content":{"rendered":"
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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed two pieces of legislation on Tuesday that are geared toward expanding access to both the abortion pill and hormonal contraception.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The first bill requires campuses for both the state and city university systems of New York to facilitate access to the abortion pill. That legislation allows the campuses to either employ or contract with providers, or refer students to providers. Based on information from the university\u2019s websites, the bill would appear to ensure an extensive network of access for the abortion pill. It takes effect on August 1, according to the <\/span>bill\u2019s text<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hochul\u2019s <\/span>other bill<\/span><\/a>, which is set to take effect 18 months after passage, allows pharmacies to dispense hormonal contraceptives over the counter.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

During a <\/span>press conference<\/span><\/a>, Hochul presented both as part of an extensive strategy to ensure abortion access in the wake of pro-life court decisions. Her remarks specifically condemned the Supreme Court\u2019s decision in <\/span>Dobbs <\/span><\/i>and Texas \u201cMAGA [J]udge\u201d Matthew Kacsmaryk\u2019s decision to upend the Food and Drug Administration\u2019s approval of the abortion pill.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur state has, from the beginning, fought this great fight,\u201d she said. \u201cAbortion was legal in New York three years before the rest of the nation, before Roe v. Wade was decided. And we’re going to do everything in our power to stop the backslide while expanding reproductive rights here in our state.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I know that there are states where these battles are going to be waged, which is why I’ve taken action as Governor to make sure that New York remains a sanctuary for anyone seeking reproductive care, that abortion remains safe, accessible, and legal in our state.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Walgreens<\/a><\/p>\n

She went on to push for the Equal Rights Amendment, which she accurately stated would \u201censhrin[e] abortion rights in our Constitution.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The New York Catholic Conference, which <\/span>previously criticized<\/span><\/a> the campus-related bill, released a <\/span>statement<\/span><\/a> denouncing the legislation on Tuesday as \u201cterribly misguided\u201d and part of a \u201cghoulish contest.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s tragic that young women away from home for the first time and facing a crisis pregnancy will be simply handed abortion pills to take care of the \u2018problem,\u2019 rather than be given the multi-layered supports they need,\u201d said Dennis Poust, the group\u2019s executive director. \u201cGovernor Hochul\u2019s single-minded focus on increasing abortions in the state, as though she\u2019s trying to win some sort of ghoulish contest, is terribly misguided. New York has many problems that need tackling; access to abortion is not one of them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n