In New York, a constitutional amendment needs to be passed in both chambers of the state legislature during two consecutive sessions to be referred to the ballot. A resolution to amend the state constitution was passed by the full state legislative body in 2022 and again in 2023 and was set to go to the voters on the 2024 November ballot.
Proposal One (Prop One) would amend the New York constitution to prohibit the denial of rights to an individual based on their ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, as well as their sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy. The current language of the Equal Protection Clause in the New York constitution prohibits the denial of rights to a person based on “race, color, creed, or religion.”
According to a New York government website, “Abortion access is available for New Yorkers and for those coming from outside of New York State. In New York, you can get an abortion up to and including 24 weeks of pregnancy. After 24 weeks, you can still get an abortion if your health or pregnancy is at risk.”
The state Board of Elections decided to explicitly NOT mention the word “abortion” in the amendment language with the aim of not excluding LGBT coverage, trans athletes, etc.
If passed, Prop One could: Allow minors to undergo irreversible medical procedures, erase protections for girls’ sports, empower schools to hide life-altering information from parents, enshrine late-term abortion in the state constitution.
Visit the NY Catholic Conference for the bishops’ statement and for information on helping moms in need. For information on how this challenges parental rights, particularly when it comes to gender transitions, see https://www.protectkidsny.com/
