IDC must help on women's rights

To the editor:

With the horrifying prospects of potential legislation coming from Washington these days, it is more important than ever to ensure that laws protecting women’s reproductive freedoms are made within state government.

As a blue state, New York often is thought of as a safe haven for reproductive rights. While New York does have some progressive pro-choice laws, it is not yet where it ought to be. The biggest threat right now to a total-access pro-choice state is the Independent Democratic Conference.

The IDC is eight state senators who ran as Democrats to be voted into office. Once in office, they caucus and vote with the Republicans. These “Democrats” give the Republicans enough members to have majority control over the state senate.

In return for their loyalty to the Republican Party, IDC members are given positions as heads of senate committees, higher salaries and larger staffs. The IDC have aided in blocking legislation similar to the DREAM Act, single-payer health care, legislation to combat climate change, and reproductive health care. 

Since the IDC caucuses with the Republicans, important reproductive rights legislation, the Reproductive Health Act and the Comprehensive Contraception Coverage Act, cannot become New York state law.

Currently in New York state, women with health concerns are not allowed to receive late-term abortions. To seek this care, they must travel out of state.

The RHA would fix this problem by taking abortion out of the penal code and putting it into public health law, making abortion accessible after 24 weeks when the pregnancy is non-viable or when the life of the woman is in danger, and allowing advanced and licensed practitioners to administer abortion care (this would prevent forcing women living in rural areas to travel great distances to receive health care).

The CCCA would require all state insurers cover FDA-approved birth control, including Plan B, IUDs and male contraceptives.

If you are as worried as I am about our federal government, it is important to take tangible steps to protect reproductive freedoms in the states. Educating constituents on the IDC and their voting record is the key to passing pro-choice legislation in New York, and creating New York as the true blue state it should be.

Leora Einleger