Bill Would Make New York Safe Haven For Out-Of-Staters Seeking Abortion
The package of bills, which is awaiting Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul's signature, would ensure legal protections for abortion providers and prevent law enforcement from cooperating with out-of-state agencies, as well as prohibit medical malpractice insurance companies from taking adverse actions against providers who care for nonresidents, Stateline reports. Meanwhile, abortion opponents and supporters are gearing up for a decision from the Supreme Court this month.
Stateline:
New York Passes Legislation To Create Abortion Sanctuary
With weeks to go before the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to overturn its landmark Roe v. Wade decision ensuring the right to abortion, New York is the latest blue state to pass new laws in anticipation of an influx of patients from states poised to ban the procedure. New York lawmakers passed a package of bills, which Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul has said she will sign, that would establish the state as a haven for people who want access to abortion, whether they live in the state or not. But lawmakers stopped short of passing a proposed equal rights amendment to the state’s constitution that would guarantee a right to abortion. So far, Vermont is the only state whose legislature has passed a proposed constitutional right to abortion, which will be on the ballot in November. New York’s 2022 legislative session ended last week. (Vestal, 6/6)
The Hill:
White House Criticizes Louisiana Abortion Bill As ‘Radical’
The White House on Monday forcefully criticized a bill moving through the Louisiana state legislature that would ban most abortions and impose criminal penalties on doctors who perform the procedure if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. “The Louisiana legislature has taken the latest step in a growing attack against the fundamental freedoms of Americans,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. (Chalfant, 6/6)
KHN:
Misinformation Clouds America’s Most Popular Emergency Contraception
A brand of specialty mozzarella cheeses. A collection of natural-gas storage terminals. And America’s top-selling emergency contraception. At a moment when half of U.S. states stand poised to outlaw or sharply curtail abortion services, the last-ditch pill for women aiming to stave off an unwanted pregnancy rests in the unlikely stewardship of two private equity firms whose investment portfolios range from Italian foods to vineyard management to children’s cough medicine. (Varney, 6/7)
NPR:
Abortion Rights Activists Say There's Still Work To Do After Supreme Court Leak
Abortion rights opponents are both excited and sobered at the prospect that the Supreme Court could overturn Roe v. Wade, saying they are ready to wage the next battles in both blue and red states. (Ludden, 6/7)
Abortion news from other states —
Topeka Capital-Journal:
Wichita Abortion Clinic Trust Women Gets Kansas Win On Telemedicine
An appellate court decision last month in favor of a Wichita reproductive clinic could be a small step toward legalizing telemedicine abortions in Kansas. The Kansas Court of Appeals sided with Trust Women in a lawsuit seeking to block enforcement of a telemedicine abortion ban, but the case is far from over. (Tidd, 6/6)
Columbus Dispatch:
Guns, Abortion, Trans Rights: How Will These Issues Affect Ohio Vote?
The abortion issue could motivate more Democrats than Republicans this November, the poll indicated. Twice as many Democrats, 34%, listed abortion as the top issue, compared to 17% of Republicans. It's not just Ohio. A leaked draft decision in May reported by Politico showed a majority of U.S. Supreme Court justices supported overturning Roe v. Wade. The draft has spurred cheers from anti-abortion groups and protests across the country from Democrats and abortion rights activists, including in front of the Supreme Court justices' homes. A ban on abortions will put many women into poverty, said Rolita Noble, 62, a Democrat from Toledo. She accused Republicans of wanting to control people's bodies. (Wartman, 6/6)
KHN:
Listen: California Positions Itself As An Abortion Sanctuary State
While half the states in the U.S. plan to ban or restrict abortion care if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, California is positioning itself to be a sanctuary of abortion access and preparing to welcome people from around the country seeking that care. The state’s Democratic-led legislature is considering 13 bills, a package designed to reduce the costs of abortion and make access to abortion easier. It includes proposals to protect people from law enforcement action if they have an abortion or help provide one. Gov. Gavin Newsom has pledged $125 million in state funds to back these efforts. (Dembosky, 6/7)
More on abortion and reproductive rights —
NPR:
Abortion Was Once Common Practice In America. A Small Group Of Doctors Changed That
Abortion wasn't always controversial. In fact, in colonial America it would have been considered a fairly common practice. But in the mid-1800s, a small group of physicians set out to change that. (Arablouei and Abdelfatah, 6/6)
Mother Jones:
Medication Abortion Will Be Crucial In A Post-Roe World. But It’s Not The Magic Fix Many Think It Is.
Ever since it became evident that Roe is likely to fall in the coming weeks, activists and folks who are generally interested in preserving abortion access have heralded medication abortion as the great solution to the end of legal abortion. And it’s true—mifespristone and misoprostol have a lot of advantages that will surely come in handy in our post-Roe future, the main one being that it’s a do-it-yourself, at-home abortion method that is safe and effective. As Kimberly Inez McGuire, executive director at URGE (Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity), said in a media briefing, “As we look at the impact of abortion bans, particularly disproportionately impacting communities such as Black and Brown folks, young people, as well as low-income communities, and immigrants, and trans young people, it is even more important that we consider the potential of self-managed abortion as an essential tool for accessing reproductive health care and autonomy for these marginalized communities.” (Andrews, 6/7)
Protests heat up —
Reuters:
Abortion Rights Protester Locks Neck To U.S. Supreme Court Fence
An abortion rights protester on Monday chained himself to a perimeter fence set up outside the U.S. Supreme Court to protest its expected decision overturning the landmark 1973 Roe v Wade ruling that legalized the procedure nationwide. The man, who secured a heavy-duty U-shaped bicycle lock around his neck, chanted "Overturn Roe? Hell no!" as a group of anti-abortion protesters marched and shouted back at him, carrying signs with slogans including "Protection at Conception." (6/6)
New York Post:
Abortion Activists Strip During Joel Osteen Church Service
Three abortion activists interrupted celebrity pastor Joel Osteen’s Sunday mass service at a Texas megachurch by stripping down to their underwear. Osteen had just finished leading a prayer and congregants began to take their seats at Lakewood Church when one woman quickly stood up, pulled off her dress and shouted “It’s my body, my f–king choice,” videos shared on Twitter show. (Griffin, 6/7)
In global abortion news —
Euronews:
Outrage In Poland Over New 'Pregnancy Register' On The Back Of Near-Total Abortion Ban
Poland's government is facing criticism over a new provision that requires doctors to record each pregnancy in the country. Opposition MPs have labelled the medical data list as a "pregnancy register" and an infringement of women's rights. Poland has placed a near-total ban on abortion and activists are concerned that women will face unprecedented surveillance from the ruling conservative party. (6/7)
