“We can no longer afford to play a game of risk,” said Ms Krueger, adding that the expected Supreme Court ruling “opens the door for more cases, to tackle other issues, including same-sex marriage, fundamental rights to privacy, all these things that are not necessarily correct in our Constitution.”
Mrs Krueger’s amendment is unique in that it aims to provide comprehensive protection against all forms of discrimination, including based on gender, sexual orientation, race and disability. Amending the constitution is a lengthy process that requires an amendment to be passed in multiple sittings and then approved by the voters, which can take years.
But both Ms. James and Governor Kathy Hochul have suggested they support some form of amendment, though it’s unclear how comprehensive it could be.
While the final form and qualifications for the proposed fund, the Reproductive Freedom and Equity Program, remain uncertain, the bill’s sponsor in the State Assembly, Queens’ Jessica González-Rojas, said she hoped it would raise $50 million. That money would then be distributed through the state health department to abortion providers and nonprofit organizations that help people access care.
The State of Roe v. Wade
What is Roe v. Wade? Roe v. Wade is a landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in the United States. The 7-2 ruling was announced on Jan. 22, 1973. Judge Harry A. Blackmun, a humble Midwestern Republican and defender of the right to abortion, wrote the majority opinion.
Ms. Jessica González-Rojas said the money could be used to cover healthcare providers’ costs, from the costs of the procedures themselves to safety and training, as well as travel and childcare costs for low-income families.
“Any rollback or restriction on a right to health care is fundamentally unjust, and we know it will cause particular harm to women of color, those of modest means, and those who already have inequalities under our current system,” said Harlem Sen. Cordell Cleare. , another sponsor.
New York is already seeing thousands of people come to the state for reproductive care, officials said, and that number is expected to increase significantly if Roe v. Wade is quashed. The Guttmacher Institute, which advocates for sexual health and reproductive rights, estimates that 40 million women of reproductive age live in states where abortion could be made illegal.
