The new law allows campuses to comply either by hiring abortion pill providers or by referring students to providers. In either case, taxpayer dollars would be used to promote abortion to students at publicly funded universities. The law is set to take effect on August 1.
“Our state has, from the beginning, fought this great fight,” Hochul said at a press conference. “Abortion 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.”
“And 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.”
In the same press conference, Hochul advocated for the ratification of the long-dead Equal Rights Amendment, stating that it would "enshrine abortion rights in our Constitution."
