Convince state lawmakers to pass RHA

To the editor:

I am writing to urge your readers to do everything they can to see that the New York State Reproductive Health Act (S. 2796) is passed in the state senate this year.

It has repeatedly passed in the Assembly, only to die in the senate. 

With the federal government in its current state, we are likely to lose federal protections of our reproductive rights, and we have only the state to rely on. 

Our state law has not been updated since 1970 — this is the year this legislation must pass.

Currently, women who have health complications later in pregnancy are being forced to leave the state for abortion care. The RHA provides an easy legislative fix that would enable a woman to access abortion care throughout pregnancy when a fetus is not viable or when her health or life is at risk.

The RHA also would protect health care providers who perform these vital services, and would remove the potential for criminal prosecution of women who end their own pregnancies. 

The RHA would address constitutional flaws in our laws and recognize a woman’s fundamental right to access safe, legal abortion. 

It would essentially codify Roe v. Wade into New York State law.

These are the things we can do to try to convince our elected officials to properly represent the more than 80 percent of New Yorkers who support protecting a woman’s right to choose. We can call our senators, particularly John Flanagan at (518) 455-2071, Jeffrey Klein at (518) 455-3595, and John Bonacic at (518) 455-3181, to insist that they bring the RHA to the floor.

We can call Gov. Cuomo at (518) 474-8390 to urge him to lead by pressuring the senate to act. 

As Liz Krueger, the sponsor of the RHA, states, “Complex and personal decisions about reproductive health care are the sole right and responsibility of a woman and her medical providers.”

We only have until June 21, the end of the legislative session, to see that this life-saving legislation is passed.

JUDY FLETCHER