New York Governor Kathy Hochul said on Tuesday that the state would allocate $35 million to launch a new Abortion Services Provider Fund to offer direct support to abortion clinics in the wake of a leaked draft opinion suggesting the Supreme Court is poised to overturn Wade.
Kathy Hochul is the governor of New York.
$25 million of the funds will go to abortion providers in the state, while $10 million will be allotted to security to ensure patient and provider safety, Hochul said during a press conference.
The news comes a day after New York Attorney General Letitia James and lawmakers said they would introduce legislation to establish a Reproductive Freedom and Inequity Program within the Health Department, which will fund abortion providers and nonprofits to increase access to care.
New York would be the first state to launch a large-scale fund to provide direct support to abortion providers, Hochul said.
If we are going to guarantee the right to an abortion, we have to guarantee access to it.
The Reproductive Health Act of New York was signed into law in 2019. The Reproductive Freedom and Inequity Program would allow abortion providers to improve infrastructure and give grants to nonprofits to help people travel to New York to get an abortion. The Supreme Court is likely to strike down the abortion law in the coming weeks, according to a draft opinion obtained by Politico. The Washington Post reported last week that a majority of justices still supported overturning the court's decision. Several Democratic-led states will call for action to ensure access to abortion services if the move leads to abortion bans in roughly half of states.
Other states may also launch funds. Ahead of the final ruling, several Democratic governors are looking to shore up access to abortion services. The Washington Post reported last week that the federal government is looking at ways to help women travel to other states for an abortion.
A New York bill would help fund abortions.
Hochul allocates $35 million to protect abortion providers.
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