New York Pro-Life Advocates Oppose Bill to Promote Unlimited Abortions 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
February 19, 2008
Albany, NY (LifeNews.com) — Pro-life groups in New York are working overtime against a bill in the state legislature that Governor Elliot Spitzer is pushing that would codify a permanent legal right to abortion. Should the measure be approved, it would be very difficult to ever overturn legal abortion if the Supreme Court reverses Roe v. Wade.
Spitzer’s administration drafted the legislation, is pushing state legislators to approve the bill, and is fighting with Catholic officials who say the measure has other concerns.
Pro-life Catholics in New York say the measure would force Catholic hospitals to do abortions by denying them any conscience rights to opt out. They worry the state could fine or penalize the medical centers for refusing to do abortions.
Kathleen Gallagher, the director of the New York State Catholic Conference, has spoken out repeatedly against the bill.
"Spitzer has acted aggressively to make abortion even more available and common than it already is, while stomping on the rights of religious providers like Catholic hospitals," she said. "It would prohibit ‘discrimination’ regarding the right to abortion to such an extent that Catholic hospitals could be forced to provide abortions or lose their license to operate."
"His euphemistically titled ‘Reproductive Health and Privacy Protection Act’ would raise abortion to the level of a fundamental right, like the freedom of speech, and would therefore prohibit virtually any restrictions at all," Gallagher explained.
She explained that the bill would open the door to unlimited late-term abortions, allow non-doctors to do abortions, and prohibit parents from knowing about their teenage daughter’s abortion decision. The measure would also force insurance providers to cover all abortions.
“In many ways, this intolerable bill is more radical than the original state law legalizing abortion nearly 40 years ago," Gallagher said of when the state legalized abortion.
"No matter what Mr. Spitzer calls his bill, clearly it is not about reproductive ‘health.’ On the contrary, this bill is about death, and it must be rejected," Gallagher concluded.
ACTION: Contact the members of the New York State Assembly and urge strong opposition to the Reproductive Health and Privacy Protection Act. Go here for contact information.
Related web sites:
New York State Assembly – https://assembly.state.ny.us
New York Catholic Conference – https://www.nyscatholic.org
