NY Could Become Safe Harbor For Abortion, Attorney General Says

NEW YORK — Upcoming legislation could establish New York as a safe harbor for women who seek abortions if Roe v. Wade is overturned, Attorney General Letitia James said.

James announced Monday alongside state lawmakers that a new bill will set aside funds for abortion care in the state under a Reproductive Freedom and Equity Program.

The bill will help not only New Yorkers who need financial support to seek abortions, but also those who travel from 26 states poised to set abortion bans if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, as is expected in the coming weeks, James said.

"It will also provide and support the influx of individuals who have and will continue to come to New York from other states to seek abortions,” she said.

"We want to be prepared," she said later.

The potential reversal of Roe v. Wade — as seen in a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion published by Politico last week — sparked immediate outrage across New York City. Thousands of protesters, including James, rallied in support of abortion rights.

New York has enshrined protections for abortion access, so if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade it won't change the legality of abortion in the state.

And James over the weekend announced that she’d even stronger protections.

“No matter what’s happening on the national level, New York must always be a safe haven for anyone seeking an abortion,” she said in a statement. “I firmly support an amendment to the state constitution to protect access to this basic right in New York.”

The legislation sponsored by state Sen. Cordell Cleare and Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas will create a dedicated state program and fund to give financial resources to abortion providers in the state.

Health care is a human right, and abortion is a fundamental and essential aspect of women's health care, Cleare said.

"This legislation will ensure that in New York we not only protect, but also fully fund and support, all aspects of women's health care, including comprehensive abortion services," she said. "We will not be subject to the arbitrary whims of a politicized Supreme Court."