New York governor signs law to shield abortionists

New York’s Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday signed a law allowing abortionists to put the name of their facility, rather than their own personal name, on the pharmacy labels of abortion drugs that they prescribe to mothers. Those drugs include mifepristone and misoprostol. WORLD reached out to New York State Right to Life for comment about the new law but did not immediately receive a response.

What is the stated intent of the law? The measure seeks to protect New York abortion providers from prosecution by other state governments seeking to prevent their citizens from killing their unborn babies. It also seeks to protect specific abortionists from potential disciplinary actions by licensing boards.

Is there any precedent for such a case? In December, Texas sued a New York-based abortionist for prescribing abortion drugs after a telehealth consultation. The Texas woman later suffered complications from the drug regimen, according to the lawsuit.

What did the governor say about the new law? New York will always protect women’s right to abort their unborn children, Hochul said. The state will also work to protect the ability of women in other states to obtain abortions, she said. More than half of all U.S. women ages 18-49 live in states that seek to restrict abortion in some way, according to a release from Hochul’s office.

Dig deeper: Read Mary Jackson and Emma Freire’s report in WORLD Magazine about the advocates calling for more couples to have kids.