Hochul says New York 'safe harbor' for abortion seekers; blames Trump in push to the polls

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, said Sunday that the Empire State will be a "safe harbor" for those seeking an abortion after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, arguing there will be a referendum on former President Donald Trump’s nominees come November at the polls. 

In an appearance on MSNBC’s "The Sunday Show," Hochul said she already earmarked $35 million to abortion providers to beef up their services in anticipation of a flood of people coming to New York to receive abortions. 

"We’re going to get a flood of people. I have declared this as our safe harbor," Hochul said. "This is where we have the Statue of Liberty welcoming people who are oppressed. Women who cannot receive the fundamental right to control their body or receive an abortion. They are oppressed. They are welcomed here in the state of New York." 

In New York, where late-term abortions are already legal, the governor said she already signed legislation a week ago that protect providers from being sued in patients come from out of state for an abortion and noted how measures prevent anyone from being extradited from New York to be prosecuted elsewhere over an abortion. 

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"This is New York. These rights are not going away. This is a place where we had abortion access three years before Roe v. Wade," Hochul said. "Roe v. Wade is now a part of our state law, but we’re looking to find any other ways we can strengthen. We protected our providers. We gave them immunity already." 

Though the Supreme Court ruling says the Constitution does not protect a woman’s right to an abortion and hands that decision back to state legislatures, Hochul speculated it could mean more federal government overreach when it comes to other reproductive issues, such as contraception. 

"It is reprehensible that we have to have this conversation. Is this a police state? Is this where we cherish people’s freedoms? Or are we going to have government telling us what to do not just in our bedrooms and maybe take away the access to even contraception which they telegraphed they would do. This is not wild speculation on our part. They said they would do that. As well as talk about making it a national law to ban abortion. My God. How have we fallen so quickly?" 

Hochul also said abortion would be a big issue at the polls in November, and blamed Trump, who got three nominations to the Supreme Court approved during his four years in office. They were Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. 

"So, all of these are going to be mobilized at the polls, I guarantee It," Hochul said. "This is going to be a motivation to people who were complacent in the past. We saw what happens when you get a Donald Trump in and three Supreme Court justices who should not be there. This is a direct correlation to people exercising their right to vote."

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"Chicken Little was right. The sky just fell on all of us," the governor added. "And if that’s not a motivating factor. For my daughter in her 30s, this was the plight of my generation, my mother’s generation. I just had a brand-new granddaughter. I did not think this would have to be the fight of her generation. So, this is deeply personal." 

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The governor also said she called a special session of the state legislature after the Supreme Court ruled Thursday that New York state’s restrictions on concealed carry permits were unconstitutional. 

She and other Democrats, including New York City Mayor Eric Adams, decried the decision, arguing it would contribute to even greater gun violence in the state struggling with crime despite having some of the strictest gun laws in the nation.