Public Policy - Oppose Abortion Bills

• Watch this video to learn about the Radical Abortion Bills (RHA and FOCA)
• Take Action to oppose the Radical New York Abortion Bill ("RHA")

Watch this video from the New York State Catholic Conference to learn about these bills

Oppose the Radical New York State Reproductive Health Act
The “Reproductive Health Act” ("RHA") has now been introduced in the State Legislature -- it is bill number S.2524 (Klein).  Governor Andrew Cuomo has already pledged to press for passage of this bill.

This extremist bill would:

• Establish a “fundamental right of privacy” within New York State law, which would make abortion virtually immune from any regulation or restriction,
• Ensure that abortion is legal throughout all nine months of pregnancy,
• Permit non-doctors to perform abortions,
• Allow post-viability abortions to be performed on an out-patient basis in clinics that go virtually unregulated by public health authorities, endangering both women and unborn children, and
• Endanger conscience protections under current law, which could force Catholic hospitals to perform abortions, and could even force Catholic schools and charitable agencies to promote or refer for abortions and contraception.

The bishops of New York State have previously issued a joint statement on the bill, which can be downloaded here.

Here is a Fact Sheet with more detailed information about this bill (also available here in Spanish).  Here is the New York State Catholic Conference's position paper on the bill.  You can also download some flyers here.  (Spanish translations are available here.).  Here is a sample announcement that you can ask your pastor to include in the bulletin.

Please write to your State Senator and Assembly representative and oppose the RHA bill. You can do so by going to the New York State Catholic Conference Catholic Advocacy Network website, and sending an email to your legislator.  Remember, the most effective emails are those that are personalized, so please feel free to add your own thoughts to the sample email letter.

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Pro-abortion organizations like NARAL are promoting this legislation!

It's important to contact your State Senators and into the fall to let them know their constituents are opposed to this extreme bill.

The following link is a recent (8-minute) interview with Kelli Conlin, Director of the radical pro-abortion group "NYS NARAL" on "Inside City Hall" on NY-1.  She indicates that NARAL continues to push for a vote on the pro-abortion Reproductive Health Act as one of their top legislative priorities.

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Sign up for the Catholic Advocacy Network
The most effective tool we have to influence our legislators is the Catholic Advocacy Network. 

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Edward T. Mechmann, Esq.,
Public Policy Coordinator
 edward.mechmann@archny.org
646.794.2807