Cuomo signs bill codifying Roe v. Wade into NY state law even if federal law changes

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signed a measure into law this week that codifies the Supreme Court’s landmark Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion.

“In the face of a federal government intent on rolling back Roe v. Wade and women’s reproductive rights, I promised that we would pass this critical legislation within the first 30 days of the new session — and we got it done,” Cuomo said in a statement Tuesday. 

“Today we are taking a giant step forward in the hard-fought battle to ensure a woman’s right to make her own decisions about her own personal health, including the ability to access an abortion,” he continued. “With the signing of this bill, we are sending a clear message that whatever happens in Washington, women in New York will always have the fundamental right to control their own body.”

{mosads}The new bill, known as the Reproductive Health Act, earned its final approval from the governor on Tuesday after it passed the Senate and the Assembly.

It establishes women’s right to choose abortion up to the 24th week of pregnancy without restriction in New York state and also allows women to choose abortion after the cutoff if the mother’s health is at stake or if the fetus has been determined not to be viable, according to HuffPost.

Feminist leader Gloria Steinem praised the move in a statement on Tuesday, saying a “women’s power to decide whether she will give birth or not is the single greatest determinant of whether she is healthy or not, educated or not, works outside the home or not, and how long she will live.”

“This power has been taken away by patriarchy and racism, sometimes disguised as religion, yet it is our most basic democratic right. I’m thankful to Governor Cuomo and the New York State legislature for passing the Reproductive Health Act,” Steinem continued. “It will codify Roe v. Wade in New York State law, guarantee women’s right to make decisions about our own bodies, and help create a future in which every child has the right to be born loved and wanted.”

The move also arrives the same day legislation was filed in Arkansas that would allow the state to enact a ban on abortion if the Supreme Court overturns its decision in Roe, according to The Associated Press.