NY Bill Would Provide Abortion Access To All American Women In State

GLEN COVE, NY — A bill that would protect abortion rights nationwide has been introduced in the New York State Legislature.

A10232, also known as the Geraldine Santoro Act of 2022, is sponsored by State Assemb. Charles Lavine, D-Glen Cove, and comes in anticipation of the expected Supreme Court ruling that would overturn Roe v. Wade.

The bill would provide protection to women seeking abortions and related medical services in New York, regardless of where they live in the United States. It would also provide financial assistance to pregnant women who otherwise could not cover the cost of their travel and care.

"New York must expand its protections to those seeking care regardless of where they reside," said Lavine, who is a founding member of the New York State Bipartisan Pro-Choice Legislative Caucus. "In the event Roe v. Wade is overturned, this bill enables anyone in a state where abortion is unlawful to receive the care they are entitled to. Abortion rights are human rights and New York must continue to be a national leader in protecting women's reproductive rights."

A10232 was named after Geraldine Santoro, a mother of two who died in 1964 following an illegal abortion. She was found dead on the floor of a motel room in Connecticut. A photo of Santoro — dead, naked, and surrounded by a pool of her own blood — became a symbol of the abortion-rights movement.

Less than a decade later, Roe. v. Wade became law. The 1973 landmark ruling — which established the constitutional right to abortion up until around 23 weeks — has always been a subject of fierce debate across the country. But this month's leaked Supreme Court draft opinion has reignited the political divide over abortion and raised the stakes for voters in November's midterm election.

Chief Justice John Roberts said the initial draft majority opinion, written by conservative Justice Samuel Alito, does not reflect the Court's final decision. But many liberals and abortion-rights activists say Roe's end will turn back the clock on reproductive health and strip women of their fundamental rights to terminate pregnancies.

The reversal of Roe v. Wade does not mean that abortions are banned nationwide. It would, however, let states choose whether they want to restrict or ban them.

For decades, pro-life activists have been working hard to overturn the decision. Like Alito wrote in the draft opinion, many pro-lifers agree that Roe v. Wade was "egregiously wrong from the start."

Some believe that the issue of abortion should be decided by the states, while others argue that life begins at conception and aborting an unborn child is the same as killing a human being.

Earlier this month, the executive director of Feminists Choosing Life of New York told the "Democrat & Chronicle" that if the leaked draft becomes the Court's final opinion, her organization will be "overwhelmed with gratitude."

"A nation without a U.S. Constitutional right to kill the most dependent and vulnerable among us represents a giant step forward towards rehumanizing humanity," Michelle Sterlace, of the Rochester-based group, said. "Roe vs Wade allows for the wholesale slaughter of millions of tiny children, who may have been dependent on women's bodies, but from conception always existed as distinct, unique human beings."

On Long Island, there are several pro-life organizations that offer post-abortion counseling and support, free sonogram referrals, and other pregnancy resources. Some of the better-known groups include The Life Center of Long Island and the Long Island Coalition for Life. Patch has reached out to both organizations for comment on the Geraldine Santoro Act.

The bill has received support from Lavine's democratic and independent colleagues, including Assembly co-sponsors Richard Gottfried (D-Manhattan), Catalina Cruz (D-Queens), Jeffrey Dinowitz (D-Bronx), Anna Kelles (D-Ithaca), and Fred Thiele (I-Sag Harbor).

Dozens of celebrities have also voiced their support for the bill, including Amy Schumer, Peter Dinklage, Gloria Steinem, Ethan Hawke, and Julianne Moore.

Indiewire.com published an open letter they wrote in support of the legislation, which said the bill is "a first step toward creating a 'Nationwide Sanctuary Network' among those states committed to protecting women's bodily autonomy and reproductive freedoms."