ALBANY — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, flanked by Democratic leaders of the state Legislature, on Tuesday night signed into law a series of measures codifying abortion protections and expanding reproductive health rights for women and their health care providers. The vote, made possible by the new Democratic majority in the Senate, came 46 years to the day after the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its landmark Roe v. Wade decision. It also updates state abortion laws that were nearly half a century old and, according to Democratic lawmakers, needed to be changed especially in light of recent changes on the nation's highest court. As he prepared to sign the legislation in the state Capitol's Red Room, which was packed with supporters, the governor thanked Sarah Ragle Weddington, a Texas attorney and law professor who, at the age of 26, represented “Jane Roe” — Norma McCorvey — in the milestone constitutional case in which the Texas woman challenged a state law banning abortion. Weddington, the youngest attorney to successfully argue a case before the Supreme Court, sat next to Cuomo as he signed the bill just before 7 p.m. Earlier in the day, she sat in the front row of the Assembly Parlor as Democratic leaders announced they would pass the measures that make up the Reproductive Health Act. "It's bittersweet. There is a bitterness because we shouldn't be here in the first place," Cuomo said. "We should not have a federal government that is trying to roll back women's rights ... This administration (of President Donald Trump) defies American evolution." Cuomo said he believes that the federal protections of Roe v. Wade are at risk of being overturned with a Supreme Court that, under Trump, has shifted to a more conservative viewpoint. He predicted that this week's 5-4 Supreme Court ruling that temporarily upholds a ban on transgender U.S. military members is a split "you're going to hear over and over." Just before signing the bill, Cuomo presented Weddington with a New York Public Service Award. “When I started working on what became Roe vs. Wade, New York was one of the very few states that women could go to for good legal services,” Weddington said earlier Tuesday. “So I was one of the people helping to raise money for women to be able to get to New York. … So now, to see New York pass a bill so that right is protected, is just a dream come true.” Senate Majority Leader Andrew Stewart-Cousins, who carried a bill on the legislation in 2007, echoed Cuomo's concern that the federal protections are at risk of being overturned and that New York needed to act. "We're saying that here in New York, women's health matters," Stewart-Cousins said. "We're saying here in New York, women's lives matter. We're saying here in New York, women's decisions matter." The Reproductive Health Act does three things. First, it strips abortion from the state's criminal code and places it entirely within the realm of public health law. Second, it expands who can perform the procedure from beyond just physicians to any licensed, certified or authorized health care practitioner for whom abortion is within their scope of practice. Finally, it legalizes abortion after 24 weeks in cases where it would protect a woman's health or where a fetus is not viable. State law previously only allowed abortions after 24 weeks if the woman's life was in jeopardy. The anticipated passage generated passionate debate in the halls of the Capitol Tuesday, where protesters and supporters armed with signs crowded hallways and fired off competing chants and songs. Supporters praised the decision, saying it brings New York into modern times and reassures women who may have feared for their rights under the Trump administration and newly configured Supreme Court. They also said it reassures providers, who previously feared criminal liability in cases where the procedure was performed in line with federal law but not state law. Opponents, which included religious and conservative groups, were bitterly disappointed, claiming the law strips unborn children of their rights and jeopardizes women's health by allowing non-physicians to perform the procedure. They also said it limits options for prosecutors in domestic violence cases. "May almighty God have mercy on the state of New York," someone yelled inside the Senate parlor, after the bill passed and riotous cheers and applause faded. The Senate came out 38-24 in favor of the bill, almost entirely along party lines. The Assembly, which has passed versions of the bill for a dozen years straight, voted 92-47 later Tuesday afternoon after several hours of debate. The last time New York updated its abortion laws was in 1970, to legalize the procedure up to 24 weeks. It was seen as progressive at the time, occurring three years prior to Roe v. Wade and making the state a safe haven for out-of-state women with unwanted pregnancies. Because Roe v. Wade allowed abortions after 24 weeks to preserve a woman's health, Republican state lawmakers frequently argued that New York had no need to update its laws. Federal law trumps state law, and Roe v. Wade was settled law. But the recent appointments of pro-life justices to the Supreme Court had many abortion rights advocates worried, and so the fight for the Reproductive Health Act was taken up anew in New York. After the 2018 midterm elections handed Democrats control of the state Senate for the first time in nearly a decade, Cuomo vowed to pass the bill in the first 30 days of the 2019 legislative session. "We cannot overstate how important it is for all New Yorkers to have the ability to control their own bodies and determine their own destinies," said Robin Chappelle Golston, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Empire State Acts. "As we continue to face challenges to reproductive health care access on the federal level, it is paramount that New York is the beacon and state model of what reproductive health care should be."<doc-sep>State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi recalled her time as an aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. While with the governor's office, she was assigned to work on moving the Reproductive Health Act. On Tuesday, she was one of the Democrats who voted for the bill's passage. "This is a pivotal moment for the women of New York, and it is long overdue," she said. For Stewart-Cousins, it was another vote on legislation that didn't advance in past sessions. The Democratic-led state Senate has already passed election reform bills and legislation to prevent discrimination against transgender people. The measures were blocked by Senate Republicans when they held the majority. Stewart-Cousins recalled sponsoring the Reproductive Health Act and being told in 2007 that it didn't need to be discussed. But with President Donald Trump declaring his support for overturning Roe v. Wade and members of his administration sharing the same view, she believes action needed to be taken to preserve women's reproductive rights. "Today we are saying no. We're saying not here in New York," she said.<doc-sep>NEW A vastly improved search engine helps you find the latest on companies, business leaders, and news more easily.<doc-sep>New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo this morning signed bills into law that ban anti-transgender discrimination and the use of conversion therapy on minors. The state Senate and Assembly had passed both bills January 15. The Gender Identity Non-Discrimination Act, or GENDA, had passed the Assembly in every session since 2008 but had failed to clear the Republican-led Senate. Now Democrats have a majority in both chambers, a key factor in the bill’s success. It adds gender identity and expression to New York's civil rights law, banning discrimination based on these characteristics in employment, housing, and public accommodations. The law had included sexual orientation since 2002. The conversion therapy bill prohibits licensed therapists from subjecting minors to the discredited and harmful practice of trying to change their sexual orientation or gender identity. "As the most progressive state in the nation and as the home of the modern LGBTQ rights movement, New York has always been on the front lines fighting for full protections for every individual," Cuomo said at the signing ceremony at the New York City LGBT Community Center. "By signing into law GENDA and a ban on the fraudulent practice of conversion therapy, we are taking another giant step forward in advancing equal justice for every New Yorker - regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation. We are once again sending a clear and proud message that there is no place for hate in our state, and anyone who engages in bigotry and discrimination will be held accountable." In the absence of legislative action, Cuomo had issued executive orders and regulations having the same effect as the two new laws, but those could have been undone by a future governor. New York is now the 20th state, plus the District of Columbia, to have a law banning discrimination based on both sexual orientation and gender identity. One state, Wisconsin, has a law covering sexual orientation only, and several states have bans including both characteristics but covering only state workers. The conversion therapy ban makes New York the 15th state with such a law, and several cities and counties have adopted similar laws. LGBTQ advocates praised both pieces of legislation. “Legal protection from violence and discrimination is part of building an inclusive society where everybody can thrive, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity,” said a statement issued by Sam Brinton, head of advocacy and government affairs for the Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ young people. “The passage of GENDA into law is a tangible sign of hope for the youth who contact the Trevor Project’s crisis intervention services every day. We are grateful to Governor Cuomo for his leadership in signing this important legislation.” Of the conversion therapy ban, he said, “We’re grateful for the governor’s efforts to end this harmful practice via regulation and now official legislation, sending a strong message to LGBTQ youth that they don’t need to fear being subjected to so-called conversion therapy.” "It has been long been overdue for New York State to end the deplorable practice known as conversion therapy, especially given the escalation in attacks coming from this federal administration," Shijuade Kadree, chief advocacy officer of the New York City LGBT Community Center, added in a prepared statement. “We are thrilled that our state electeds have finally demonstrated that they will step up to protect its residents, ridding us of a medically discredited practice that targets the most vulnerable -- our youth -- simply for being themselves. New York has shown that when our federal government fails to protect us, states have the power and promise to advance progressive laws that create affirming spaces for all." Human Rights Campaign president Chad Griffin issued this statement: “Today, with Governor Cuomo’s signature, New York has made bold, historic progress by making GENDA the law of the land and banning the abusive and life-threatening practice of so-called conversion therapy on LGBTQ youth. These laws will literally save lives, and their passage would not have been possible without the tireless work of advocates and allies across New York over the last decade. We also owe today’s celebration in large part to Senator [Brad] Hoylman and Assemblymembers [Richard] Gottfried and [Deborah] Glick for their strong leadership on this legislation, and to Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins, who made them a top priority this session.” This came from Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD: “Governor Andrew Cuomo today reaffirmed what millions of New Yorkers already know: LGBTQ people are born perfect, and our lives should be celebrated – not silenced. At a time when the nation is living with a president whose agenda includes turning back the clock on LGBTQ progress, it’s reassuring to have allies like the New York State Legislature and Governor Cuomo advocating for full acceptance for all marginalized communities.” Watch Cuomo speak on the bills below.<doc-sep>
On Tuesday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signed a bill approving sweeping new abortion legislation. Here's what we know The Reproductive Health Act would permit abortions after 24 weeks if the health or life of the mother is at stake. It also allows abortions at any point in a pregnancy if the baby is determined to not be viable outside the womb. It also moved the regulation of abortion from criminal law to public health law. Finally, it changes the law to allow licensed, certified, or authorized health care practitioners to perform abortions, instead of limiting that to only physicians. According to reporting by WNYT-TV, this would include nurse practitioners and physician assistants. The bill passed the New York state Senate by a 38-24 vote and the state Assembly by a vote of 92-47. State Republicans had successfully blocked similar legislation for years, but the 2018 election gave Democrats a comfortable majority in both houses. Despite complaints from pro-choice advocacy groups, New York has one of the highest rates of abortion in the United States. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2013 New York City had an abortion rate equal to 59.8 percent of its live birth rate — higher than the rate of any state in the nation. This means, as pointed out in December 2017 by NewsBusters, that one out of every three babies in New York City ends up aborted. And that was under the previous law that pro-choice groups criticized for being too restrictive. What else? During the signing of this bill, Cuomo thanked Sarah Ragle Weddington, the woman who represented "Jane Roe" in the Roe v. Wade case. Jane Roe herself, whose real name was Norma McCorvey, ended up having her baby and becoming a pro-life advocate. McCorvey would tell the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2005 that she believed she had been "used and abused by the court system in America," adding "instead of helping women in Roe v. Wade, I brought destruction to me and millions of women throughout the nation."