Kathy Hochul takes the oath of office as New York State’s first elected female Governor (January 1, 2023)

Kathy Hochul was inaugurated Sunday as New York State’s first elected female governor.

Hochul took office in August 2021 after then-Governor Andrew Cuomo resigned amid allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior.

She was elected by voters in November, defeating Republican challenger Lee Zeldin.

Hochul said she’d get into policy more in her State of the State address this month, but cited housing affordability and energy affordability among other topics in her inaugural address, “And the gun violence epidemic, my gosh. The loss of lives goes on and on. The rise in hate crimes. What happened here? Especially antisemitism, Asian hate, anti LGBTQ hate and the systemic racism that still persists to this day. Those are the fights we are called to take on. We must.”

Hochul also mentioned the lingering effects of the pandemic as well as women’s rights in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.

Tom DiNapoli also took the oath of office on Sunday as New York’s second-longest serving Comptroller of more than 15 years. Letitia James was sworn in a second time as Attorney General and Antonio Delgado was sworn in as the state’s Lieutenant Governor, his first full term.

The rally is in response to the U.S. Supreme Court‘s decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, saying there is not a federal constitutional right to an abortion.

The rally is in support of the right to abortion and to support the stance that abortion is healthcare.

At noon, a march is scheduled to take place from Dow Park on West Sixth Street to Tracy Plaza on East Third Street.

Speakers at Tracy Plaza will include motivational speaker Katie Castro, local poet Autumn Echo, local dance artist Sukanya Burman, and local female political candidates and professionals Sandra Lewis and Alyssa Porter.

The rally will conclude with a march that returns to Dow Park.

Governor Kathy Hochul discusses legislation passed in Legislative extraordinary session

The State Legislature has passed a resolution to enshrine equal rights into the New York State Constitution, which will solidify the right to abortion access in New York State.

The resolution was brought forward by Governor Kathy Hochul as part of an extraordinary session of the legislature that she called to deal with decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court dealing with gun laws and the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

If enacted, the amendment will add ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, and sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy to existing protections that currently cover discrimination based on race, color, religion or creed.

State Senator George Borrello was critical of the resolution, saying abortion rights are already codified in state law under the Reproductive Health Act passed in 2019, and that “This will potentially force Catholic hospitals and other religiously affiliated organizations to provide abortions and other services that violate their beliefs.”

The resolution will need to pass again in the next legislative session before going to the voters for ultimate approval.

Governor Kathy Hochul

State legislation is being developed that will ban guns in government buildings, health facilities, places where children gather and public transportation in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court decision making it easier to legally carry firearms in public.

The Gothamist reports Governor Kathy Hochul said that she and legislative leaders have agreed to a series of gun-control measures that are expected to be voted on today, when state lawmakers return to the Capitol for an extraordinary session.

She said the details and language are still being worked out. Hochul developed the policy following a meeting of the Interstate Task Force on Illegal Guns with highlights including:
– A ban on guns in “sensitive places,” which also include polling places and educational institutions
– Preventing guns from being carried in private businesses unless the business owner explicitly allows them
– Expanding the list of criteria that disqualifies someone from obtaining a pistol permit, including if they have a “history of dangerous behavior”
– Expanding the state’s “safe storage” law to require guns are locked while in a car, or in a home with someone under the age of 18 (up from the current 16)
– And requiring a background check to purchase ammunition for a gun that requires a permit

The push for new gun-control legislation comes in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling last week in favor of the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, which sued the state over its law requiring an applicant to show “proper cause” – essentially, a particular need to carry a gun for self-defense – in order to get a permit to carry a concealed firearm in public.

In the 6-3 ruling, the court found the century-old state law violated the U.S. Constitution, striking down the provision and making it easier to obtain a concealed carry permit.

But Justice Clarence Thomas’ ruling and a concurring opinion by Justice Brett Kavanaugh made clear that the state can still ban guns in “sensitive places,” such as government buildings.

Hochul said she and state lawmakers are in agreement on an expansive list of sensitive places. She also said they agree that guns should be presumptively banned from private businesses, unless the business owner proactively opts in to allowing them.

The presumption will be that they don’t want concealed carry unless they put out a sign saying, ‘Concealed carry weapons welcomed here,’” she said.

When asked if the state’s list of sensitive places would include places that serve alcohol, Hochul said they would be covered under the presumptive gun ban for private businesses.

Whatever lawmakers pass will be subject to strict legal scrutiny from gun groups – including the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association – that have been willing to sue in the past.

Governor Hochul is also hoping state lawmakers can pass the Equality Amendment during the special legislative session.

Following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Hochul is urging agreement on the proposed, but stalled amendment to the state constitution that would put equality protections in place for New Yorkers.

The amendment has been stuck in neutral due to disagreements among Democratic lawmakers over religious protection language in the amendment. New York has protections in place for abortion rights and earlier this month legislation was approved meant to strengthen legal protections for women from outside New York seeking abortions as well as providers of the procedure.

Unlike legislation, a proposed constitutional amendment is not signed by the governor after passage in the Legislature. An amendment must be approved by two separately elected sessions of the Legislature and then put before voters in a referendum.

Hochul encouraged lawmakers to discuss the issue with her in an effort to broker an agreement.

United States Supreme Court Building

Protests continued over the weekend as states took action to prohibit abortion following the U.S. Supreme Court‘s ruling Friday that overturns Roe V. Wade.

CNN reports at least 10 states have effectively banned abortion since Friday’s ruling.

In all, 26 states have laws that indicate they could outlaw or set extreme limits on abortions, effectively banning abortion in those states, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

Three states — Kentucky, Louisiana and South Dakota — had so-called “trigger bans” that went into effect automatically with the Supreme Court’s reversal Friday of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling which established a constitutional right to an abortion. Other states have trigger bans with implementation mechanisms that occur after a set period or after a step taken by a state government entity.

Among the trigger-ban states in the latter category, Missouri has already made the move required to implement its ban on abortion, with state Attorney General Eric Schmitt announcing Friday he had taken the step of certification laid out by Missouri law.

Oklahoma, which had recently put in place a law banning most abortions, has also taken the step of implementing its trigger ban, according to the state attorney general’s office. Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge also certified the state’s trigger ban, allowing it to take effect Friday, Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced.

Utah’s trigger ban went into effect Friday, according to a letter sent by John L. Fellows, the general counsel for the Utah Legislature, which was provided to CNN by KUTV. And on Saturday, Planned Parenthood of Utah filed a lawsuit seeking to block it.

Other states have prohibitions on abortion that had been blocked by courts that had cited Roe’s guarantee of a right to abortion. Those states may act quickly to have those court orders lifted so those restrictions can go into effect.

Ohio Attorney General David Yost announced Friday the injunction blocking the state’s so-called heartbeat bill, which bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected — as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, before many women even know they are pregnant — was dissolved. In court documents, US District Judge Michael Barrett said he sided with Yost in dissolving the injunction, but noted the court “declines to dismiss this case at this juncture. Rather, a status conference will be set by separate notice to discuss further proceedings.”

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey referenced a court order which halted the state’s 2019 abortion ban and said in a statement Alabama “will immediately ask the court to strike down any legal barriers to enforcing this law.” A federal judge in Alabama on Friday granted an emergency motion to end an injunction against Alabama’s ban after the Supreme Court’s decision.

States including Wisconsin and West Virginia had abortion restrictions before the Roe ruling that had never been removed.

In Wisconsin, the Republican-controlled state legislature declined Wednesday to repeal an 1849 state law banning abortion during a special session called by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers — allowing it to take effect again after the high court overturned Roe.

“We will fight this decision in every way we can with every power we have,” Evers said in a written statement.

Wisconsin Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul told CNN affiliate WISN before the court’s decision came down he did not intend to enforce the abortion ban at the state level. However, following the decision Friday, his office issued a statement stopping short of that, saying, “Our office is reviewing today’s decision and will be providing further information about how we intend to move forward next week.”

States with trigger laws expected to ban abortions in the upcoming days and weeks include Wyoming, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas and Idaho.

Tennessee Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III said in addition to implementing the trigger ban set to go into effect in 30 days, the state had asked an appeals court to lift a hold which had been placed on a measure banning abortion at around six weeks into pregnancy.

In Texas, where the trigger ban is to be implemented on the 30th day after the Supreme Court issues its judgment (a court move which will happen in the coming weeks), Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced local prosecutors may now begin enforcing an abortion ban passed by the state before the Roe ruling. (Texas had already effectively banned abortion when it enacted a six-week ban last year.)
It’s likely elsewhere in the country, state legislatures will soon be called back into session to pass strict abortion laws that previously would have run afoul of Roe.

Indiana’s Republican Gov. Eric J. Holcomb is calling for a return of the General Assembly on July 6, so legislators can consider anti-abortion legislation.

Read the U.S. Supreme Court decision here: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/19-1392_6j37.pdf

Governor Kathy Hochul signs abortion rights package (June 13, 2022)

Governor Kathy Hochul signed a package of bills Monday to protect abortion rights in the state.

This comes after a leak of a Supreme Court draft decision in May that suggests the court will overturn Roe v. Wade, taking away the right to abortion across the nation.

Abortion rights are already codified into New York state law, but legislation signed by Hochul will also protect abortion providers as well as women from other states.

Hochul addressed the leaked Supreme Court decision, saying she is acting as if the decision is final, “My friends, the sky is on the verge of falling literally in the next week or two. That is a very real possibility. And that’s why we’re here today. I have three messages regarding the persistent assault on women’s rights, and a woman’s right to determine and make her own decisions about her own body. And they are simple messages: Not here. Not now. Not ever.”

The first bill allows New Yorkers to file lawsuits against people who are trying to limit their reproductive freedoms.

The second allows the state to protect women from other states who are wanted on criminal charges from extradition.

The third and fourth bills will allow the state to defend abortion providers from medical malpractice and licensure issues.

The fifth will allow providers and their family members to keep their addresses confidential to keep them safe.

The sixth bill signed by the governor allocates a task force to study the impact of limited-service pregnancy centers on women.

The governor recently announced that the state will be providing $35 million to support abortion access, calling it a “nation-leading investment.”

This makes New York the first state to approve legislation following shootings in Buffalo and Texas that left a total of 31 dead.

Lawmakers approved bills to broaden abortion protections and bolster voting rights, using the final hours of the 2022 legislative session to deliver the most robust response yet by a state in the face of federal gridlock.

Faced with a looming Supreme Court decision that could strike down Roe v. Wade, Democratic legislative leaders were fully behind a bill package aimed at protecting abortion service providers from legal or professional backlash, among other things.

Legislators also approved new measures to combat voter suppression under the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York, invoking the former congressman and civil rights leader in a nod to the voting rights bill that failed to pass in Congress.

Governor Kathy Hochul, who has already expressed support for many of the bills, is widely expected to sign them into law.

New York will now become the second state, following California, to pass legislation paving the way for the “microstamping” of shell cases with a unique alphanumeric code in order to trace the bullet back to the gun it was fired from. The bill, spearheaded by State Senator Brad Hoylman of Manhattan, is meant to help officials solve crimes, but some Republicans questioned the viability of the technology and argued it amounted to an unnecessary barrier for gun manufacturers.

The legislation that now makes the sale of body vests unlawful — except to police officers and other designated people — came after it was revealed that the 18-year-old gunman who killed 10 people at a Buffalo supermarket had worn body armor, an increasingly common feature in mass shootings that is typically loosely regulated.

New York — which already bans military-style assault rifles — will also join a handful of states that have raised the minimum age requirement to 21 from 18 for the purchase of some long guns, the same age as for handguns in New York. New buyers of such weapons will now be required to obtain a permit — which includes undergoing a background check and safety course — before the purchase of a semiautomatic rifle.

Hochul vocally lobbied for the legislation, but it could face legal challenges from the gun industry just as the Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling this month that could strike down a New York law that sharply limits a person’s ability to carry a weapon outside the home, a potential win for gun-rights groups.

The bills, which cemented New York’s standing as one of the most Democratic statehouses in the country, came as President Biden delivered remarks on Thursday night urging Congress to pass a federal ban on assault weapons and new “red flag” laws.

But some lawmakers privately griped that the focus on national headline-grabbing issues had overshadowed conversation around more New York-centric concerns in the waning days of the legislative session.

Many in the party’s left wing were disappointed that some left-leaning legislation was not prioritized, from beefed-up protections against evictions to elder parole. Environmentally conscious legislation like the one that would allow the New York Power Authority to build publicly-owned renewable energy projects, passed in the Senate but remained unsettled in the Assembly.

Even so, lawmakers appeared poised to pass a two-year moratorium on cryptocurrency mining at fossil fuel plants. The proposal was passed by the Assembly, but stalled in the Senate, until late-night discussions on Thursday revived the measure. The bill, which is heavily opposed by the cryptocurrency industry, is the first of its kind in the country, aimed at addressing environmental concerns over the most energy intensive forms of crypto mining.

Less certain was the fate of a criminal justice reform bill that would seal most criminal records after formerly incarcerated individuals have completed their sentences. The bill — known as the Clean Slate Act — passed the Senate, but has been held up in the Assembly. The measure received an unexpected boost Thursday night, however, with the news that the New York State Education Department had come on board, stoking rumors of a last minute push.

There was a far broader consensus on abortion rights, as New York State leaders vowed to make the state a national leader on the issue following news reports that indicated the Supreme Court was poised to overturn the landmark decision from 1973 that made abortion legal across the country.

Lawmakers followed through on that pledge this week with bills aimed at strengthening New York’s existing laws and preparing the state for a surge of people seeking abortions from elsewhere.

One bill passed by both houses will sharply limit the ability of law enforcement from cooperating with criminal or civil cases in states where abortion is restricted. Others ensure doctors have access to malpractice insurance, and aren’t hit with professional misconduct charges for serving patients from states where abortion is a crime.

Still others aim to use the conversation around abortion rights to solidify other liberties under attack. One measure which has been passed by both houses protects the rights of individuals traveling to New York seeking reproductive care as well as transgender or nonbinary people seeking gender-affirming care.

An amendment to the State Constitution that would forbid discrimination based on pregnancy outcomes — or race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender expression — was being hashed out well into the final week of the session, with lawmakers struggling to balance civil liberties with religious ones. As of Thursday, a compromise failed to emerge.

The John Lewis Voting Rights Act, which passed both the Senate and the Assembly, invokes a similarly named bill in Congress that would restore parts of the Voting Rights Acts of 1965 recently gutted by the Supreme Court. That bill passed the House of Representatives in 2021, but has twice failed in the Senate, where Democrats hold a slim majority.

The bill requires localities with demonstrated histories of discrimination to prove that any proposed changes to their election process will not result in voter suppression.It would also require more election materials to be translated for non-English speakers and offer voters legal protections in instances of obstruction or intimidation.

Legislative reporters said the State Senate finished voting around 2:30 this morning with the State Assembly expected to reconvene at 9:30 this morning to finish voting on measures.

Governor Kathy Hochul announces funding for abortion providers

Governor Kathy Hochul has announced a $35 million investment to directly support abortion providers in anticipation of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.

Hochul directed the Department of Health to create a $25 million Abortion Provider Support Fund for abortion providers in order to both expand capacity and ensure access for patients seeking abortion care in New York.

The Department of Health will release an expedited application for both grant and reimbursement requests from providers, and will begin distributing funds to providers by the time a final Supreme Court decision would be released.

The Governor also directed the Division of Criminal Justice Services to administer $10 million in funding for safety and security capital grants for abortion providers and reproductive health centers to further secure their facilities and ensure the safety of patients and staff.

A request for proposals to allow organizations to apply is also expected to be issued by the time a final Supreme Court decision would be released. Application of this new funding will be modeled after Governor Hochul’s Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes program, which provides grants to strengthen safety and security measures at buildings owned or operated by non-profit organizations at risk of hate crimes or attacks because of their ideology, beliefs, or missions.

NY Attorney General Letitia James

State Attorney General Letitia James announced Monday new legislation to establish a state program that would provide financial resources to abortion providers in New York.

The legislation would create the Reproductive Freedom and Equity Program within the New York State Department of Health (DOH). It would provide funding to abortion providers and non-profit organizations to grow the capacity of providers and meet present and future care needs.

The program would provide funding for uncompensated abortion care regardless of a patient’s ability to pay for care or their insurance status. The program also seeks to address the abortion care needs of individuals from outside of New York by awarding grant funds to non-profit organizations that provide support to individuals that travel to New York. To protect the privacy of the individuals seeking care, the legislation prohibits the state from tracking the personal information of patients through the providers that receive funds from the program.

James said at the press conference that every person in the nation should have the freedom to control their body and own healthcare, “This fundamental right is implicit in our Constitution and that right should not be abridged and, or, denied. And we are taking action today to ensure that it remains true here in New York, both for New Yorkers and for people living in states that are poised to ban abortions.”

James said New York has already experienced an uptick in the number of people coming to the state for abortions, with the Centers for Disease Control reporting for 2019 that 9% or 7,000 of abortion procedures performed in the the state were for people from out of state, “And New York, as you know, is one of the states that has the highest number of individuals coming to it to get abortions. According to the Guttmacher Institute, that number could grow to more than 32,000 individuals or perhaps even more. And that’s just for people traveling to New York from Ohio and Pennsylvania where they have restrictive laws and in some cases lack of access to abortion providers.”

There are currently 22 states that have laws or constitutional amendments that already exist that would allow them to ban abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned or weakened. There are an additional four states that are likely to ban abortion in the absence of federal protections. James said these 26 states are home to more than 40 million women of reproductive age.

Tom Reed

Congressman Tom Reed says whether Roe v. Wade is overturned or not, the issue of abortion needs to be resolved through the legislative process.

Reed, in his weekly media call, said in his opinion the judges who originally ruled on Roe v. Wade were “over their skis” in terms of doing legislative work through the judicial body of the U.S. Supreme Court.

He said if the issue of abortion isn’t handled at the federal level that it will be at the state level, but will likely be a tremendous amount of division in that case, “And maybe there’s some common ground that we can start healing the nation overall if we start, like I said on those issues such as education and birth control etc.; and then start bringing people together. Cause it’s going to take us having to work together to solve this at a Federal level from a legislative perspective.”

He said while he is against abortion, he does support exceptions such as cases of rape, incest, or the life of a mother, “We do not want unwanted pregnancies. We want to make sure women have access to healthcare, to have access to birth control and other matters to allow them to prevent as many unwanted pregnancies as possible. And that’s why I’m talking about education, things like that, as those tools.”

Reed said he supports Chief Justice John Roberts‘ investigation into the leak of Judge Samuel Alito‘s memo on Roe v. Wade. And while he’s concerned about the injection of politics into the Supreme Court process, he believes the justices are “astute students of law” and they will be professional and objective.