New York lawmakers agree to expand constitutional anti-discrimination protections to include abortion rights

Jan. 25 (UPI) — New York state legislators passed a constitutional amendment expanding protections from discrimination that would enshrine abortion rights.

The New York State Legislature passed the Equal Rights Amendment on Tuesday, putting it to a vote in 2024, when voters decide its future.

New York’s constitution already protects against racial and religious discrimination, but a bill passed Tuesday aims to extend those protections to New Yorkers based on other demographics such as age, ethnicity, disability, or gender, including pregnancy and outcome. pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender. identity and gender expression.

“While other states take action to slow progress and roll back reproductive rights, New York will always lead the way in fighting all forms of discrimination and protecting access to abortion,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement. statement after the adoption of the bill. “New York will never stop fighting for what’s right – fearless and undaunted.”

The Democratic-led New York State Legislature first passed the measure last year, but state laws it is said that the constitutional amendment must be approved by two different legislative sessions before being voted on as a referendum for public approval.

The bill was deemed necessary amid Republican efforts to ban abortion at the state level and after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer, removing federal protections for abortion and restoring the legality of controversial medical practices to states.

New York lawmakers passed the measure days after the 50th anniversary of that landmark 1973 decision.

“We passed legislation to protect the right to access contraceptives and abortion, protect LGBT New Yorkers, prevent racial discrimination in voting laws, and work to address racial disparities in our criminal justice system. But we know this fight is not over yet.” – New York This was stated by the Speaker of the Assembly of the State of York Carl Histie. statement Tuesday.

“Across the country, at all levels of government, we are seeing a disturbing trend of reversal and restriction of the rights of Americans. We don’t want to have all this in New York.”

Tuesday’s passage of the bill was celebrated by a number of civil rights advocates, who said it would protect millions of New Yorkers as conservatives seek to destroy them.

“Because the federal constitutional right to abortion, granted to Roe v. Wade 50 years ago, was stolen from us last June, New York has taken important steps to create a state constitution worthy of the 21st century that protects us all!” Georgiana Hanson, Interim President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Empires States Acts, said in statement.

Desma Holcomb, an adviser to the Equality New York commission on bodily autonomy and reproductive justice, said they will work to secure a referendum victory next year.

“New York Equality is delighted that this inclusive New York State Equal Rights Amendment is designed to protect the human and reproductive rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary New Yorkers,” Holcomb said.

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