Local leaders, residents react to Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade

The controversial Supreme Court decision has people on both sides speaking out. Many critics are wondering what this means for other landmark rulings, such as access to contraception and same sex marriage.

Here in New York, access to abortions wouldn't change, but that didn't stop people from flooding the streets to support the many across the country who would lose their right to choose.

"Angry because I've been demonstrating for abortion rights and reproductive justice since 1980," protester Betty Maloney, with Radical Women, said.

Maloney says she can't believe she's back decades later, fighting for the same rights, sending a message to the Supreme Court.

"You are gonna face the anger of women and our allies all across the country, and we're not gonna let up," she said.

"I'm scared and I'm horrified and I'm sick," said Jesse Breeden, a mother from Brooklyn.

Joining the massive crowd marching from Union Square, packing Washington Square Park to make sure their voices are heard, were young women are with organization Rise Up for Abortion Rights.

"It's paramount for us to be here because we're worried about our futures, our peers' futures," Lola Ojamaa told CBS2's Jenna DeAngelis.

Opponents of abortion rights, like Anne Perone, with New Jersey Committee for Life, celebrated a different future.

"I'm very, very happy because I'm sure that many of the people in United States are against abortion and are concerned about preserving innocent life," she said.

"What's next? They're coming for gays.  They're coming for people of color," one Brooklyn resident said.

"It's extremely scary that rights can be taken away," Hell's Kitchen resident Pablo Heredia said.

A concern raised by many CBS2 spoke with, especially after reviewing a separate opinion written by Justice Clarence Thomas.

"Same sex marriage, immigration rights, anything that he sees that is not clearly stated in the constitution and something that the American history would support, then he is not going to condone," said Gloria J. Browne-Marshall, professor of constitutional law at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

CBS News legal correspondent Jan Crawford weighed in.

"That's one justice. It takes five," she said. "The court in the majority opinion said, 'No. How could we be any more clear? This case is different. Abortion is different because it involves a human life.'"

Either way, those rallying in New York say they won't stop pushing back.

From what we saw, the protests Friday were peaceful.

More are expected through the weekend.

Thousands of people gathered in Washington Square Park on Friday, describing anger, frustration and motivation to push back against the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

They started gathering at a rally in Union Square around 5 p.m. before marching through the streets, chanting.

The event was started by those against the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, including organizations like Radical Women and Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights.

CBS2's Jenna DeAngelis spoke to many New Yorkers who were compelled to come out, saying they couldn't stay silent.

"We're the future, and we need to take care of it and make sure it's going in the right direction," East Village resident Mirabelle Kaihoi said.

"It's a slippery slope because the same ruling that they used for Roe is going to be used against LGBT, interracial marriage, a whole host of stuff, and it's just like we're going back in time 50 years when we're supposed to be moving forward," Hell's Kitchen resident Pablo Heredia said.

So far, the rally has remained mostly peaceful with the majority of the crowd moving back to Union Square to continue protesting the decision.

A huge crowd of abortion rights advocates gathered in Washington Square Park on Friday evening to protest the Supreme Court's decision on Roe v. Wade. The demonstration began in Union Square before taking to the streets, marching down Fifth Avenue to the park. Chopper 2 was over the scene.

Several rallies are expected Friday night in reaction to the Supreme Court decision.

A rally in Union Square was held by those against the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, saying they are angry and they will not stay silent.

Several different groups of activists were in attendance, from the organization Radical Women to RiseUp4AbortionRights.org, which is holding similar rallies Friday in about dozen other U.S. cities, including in Washington, D.C., at the Supreme Court.

In Union Square, CBS2's Jenna DeAngelis spoke to abortion rights advocates from New York who say they heard the news and had to act.

"I turned on the TV. I started crying. We knew it was gonna happen. It was just when? The shock put me on the train I am so scared of to just stand here and let women know, open up your mouth. Men, stand with us. We need you, too ... What if we were to tell men to have vasectomies?" Brooklyn resident Nicole M. said.

"Even with the draft decision that was coming, I was still shocked, and I felt helpless, and I was like, I need to do something ... We have to show women we stand with them," Hell's Kitchen resident Pablo Heredia said.

The massive crowd then took to the streets, filling Fifth Avenue and heading toward Washington Square Park.

"Angry because I've been demonstrating for abortion rights and reproductive justice since 1980," said Betty Maloney, a member of Radical Women.

"It was devastating to learn that this is sort of, like, our future now and that we're going in a way backwards, but we're really just here to do something and change as much as we can," one young protester said.

"This really sets the precedent that the Supreme Court can turn other minority rights, like LGBTQ marriage, and slowly we see a domino effect happening in this country," another young protester said.

"How do they have the right to do a law that the majority of people are against? There's no way this law will be obeyed and so many people are gonna be tied up in the legal system," Maloney said.

This is among several rallies expected Friday.

Earlier, President Joe Biden called for peaceful protests, and so far, that's what we're seeing in Union Square.

Women and group leaders on both sides of the debate in New Jersey reacted to the Supreme Court's opinion Friday.

"Well, I know a few family members that are really into religion, so to them this is, like, a good thing," Weehawken resident Debera Calvello said.

"But to you?" CBS2's Dave Carlin asked.

"But to me, no. Women should have their own rights. It's their body. They should be able to make that choice," Calvello said.

"People have very firm views on certain things. For me, again, I don't judge," Leonia resident Red Castle said. "I have two kids, you know what I mean? So, me and my opinion, myself, if I, you know... I go through with the pregnancy, you know what I mean, that's just me."

Carin spoke to Anne Perone, president of New Jersey Committee for Life.

"I'm very, very happy because I'm sure that many of the people in United States are against abortion and are concerned about preserving innocent life," she said.

Planned Parenthood plans an expansion of abortion services in states that include New Jersey and New York, anticipating a fast growing need as more women travel here from some other states.

Joy Calloway is interim president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater New York.

"Banning abortion does not take away a person's need to access abortion care services," she said. "The court's wrongful ruling especially fails people with low incomes who can't afford access to fundamental health care or travel to get it."

"I was very disappointed," Jersey City resident Aissatou Diallo said. "I think the choice to have an abortion should be a woman's choice."

Debbie Provencher is executive director of the faith-based Lighthouse Pregnancy Resource Center, headquartered in Hawthorne, New Jersey.

"For us in New Jersey, New Jersey has already codified the right, the access to abortion, so our role at Lighthouse is not really changing," she said. "We don't provide or refer for abortion here, but every day, we serve women, men and teens who are facing that decision ... We want them to know there are other options and that there are people that will walk alongside them."

As the debate continues, some providers are already planning for a Tri-State influx.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams insist that while abortion is no longer a federal constitutional right, it will be a right in New York for all women, no matter where they live. 

The state could very well become the abortion capital of the country. Hochul and Adams said they'll make sure it stays safe, legal and affordable, CBS2's Marcia Kramer reported.

Click here to read more. 

Friday's Supreme Court ruling on Roe v. Wade has sent decisions about whether abortion is legal back to the states. "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan joined CBS2's Dana Tyler and Jessica Moore to discuss the matter.

The NYPD says it will deploy additional resources to demonstrations expected to take place Friday night. 

"The NYPD is here to support all expressions of free speech or protest as long as it is peaceful, lawful and non-violent. We will also provide additional resources and special attention to sensitive locations to guard against property damage or vandalism," the NYPD said in a statement. 

At least two significant protests were expected to take place Friday night. 

Hofstra University Professor of Constitutional Law James Sample joined CBS2 by phone to discuss the decision.

What does it mean for women in America? 

"Women in most of red America are not only going to find that abortion is unavailable, but that it is actually going to be criminalized. And the aiding and abetting of engaging in reproductive freedom is going to be a criminal act in most of red America," he said. "It also means... that other privacy rights are going to be under renewed and reinvigorated threat, and by that I mean rights like the right to same-sex marriage and even the right to contraception and reproductive freedom."

How does it affect people here?

"They are going to be called upon by their fellow citizens from other states around the country to provide what Gov. Hochul referred to as that safe harbor," Sample said. "Speaking more as a citizen than as a professor, I hope that individuals in the Tri-State Area are welcoming, are supportive, and that the legislatures in the Tri-State are going to do all that they can to make this Tri-State Area hospitable to women who are seeking to advance their reproductive freedom. But the sad truth is that women who lack the financial means, and the time, and the physical freedom to be able to engage in the travel to go to states like New York, Connecticut and New Jersey are going to sadly be sorely disadvantaged and are going to be relegated to the type of second-class citizenry that women have been for far too long in this country."

"Two very, very different Americas"

"Imagine the circumstance of a woman who is the victim of rape or incest and who is unable to travel and who is now entirely dependent on that state in which she resides for whether or not she has the freedom to engage in a right that for most women, especially women of child-rearing age, has been available to them for their entire lives," he continued. "We're talking about a Supreme Court that is resistant to states imposing things like masks or vaccine mandates, but has absolutely no problem telling states that the state can force a woman to carry a pregnancy to term."

A woman's right to choose is no longer a constitutional right. 

The Supreme Court released a bombshell decision Friday overturning Roe v. Wade, ultimately leaving the decision up to individual states. 

The decision came down just after 10 a.m. 

As CBS2's John Dias reports, abortion rights had been in place for nearly 50 years, and overturning Roe v. Wade was a decision that was arguably unthinkable just a few years ago. 

Friday's outcome is expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states across America, but not in the Tri-State Area. It puts the court at odds with a majority of Americans who favored preserving Roe, according to opinion polls.

The decision now passes the authority to regulate abortion to political branches, not the courts. That means it will be up to each individual state to make its own rules. Thirteen states, mainly in the South and Midwest, already have laws on the books that ban abortion in the event Roe was overturned. 

Friday's decision was the culmination of efforts by opponents of abortion rights, and made possible by the right side of the court, which has been fortified by three appointees of former President Donald Trump. 

The ruling came more than a month after a stunning leak of a draft opinion by Justice Samuel Alito. He indicated the court was ready to take this huge step. In the final opinion Friday, he wrote Roe and Planned Parenthood v. Casey - the decision that reaffirmed the right to abortion - were wrong the day they were decided and must be overturned. 

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul responded to the decision, saying it is a dark day. 

"This is a day that will go down in history as a day that women are no longer allowed the responsibility to make a decision regarding their own reproductive freedom," Hochul said. "The rights of women are sacred in New York. The rights of women will never be jeopardized under my watch in this state, you can count on that. But it is our sisters across the nation that have been stripped of a right, I know that they will be fine in refugee, safe harbor here in our state." 

The three liberal justices were in dissent, saying in a statement, in part, millions of Americans lost a fundamental constitutional protection. 

Congressman Tom Suozzi, who is running for New York governor, says "American women today will have less freedom than their mothers."

"Today, the Supreme Court has declared unconstitutional a woman's right to make their own reproductive health decisions. American women today will have less freedom than their mothers. 

Sadly, there are those who seek to arrest doctors for offering reproductive care. They are wrong.

I have a 100% approval rating from Planned Parenthood and I will continue to work to ensure that New York remains a model for safe, legal and accessible abortions. We should also seek to make New York a model for reducing unplanned pregnancies by promoting education and contraception."

Gov. Phil Murphy says New Jersey planned for this moment but will continue to do more to "fully secure reproductive rights and ensure access to reproductive health care without delay."  

"No number of leaked draft opinions nor any amount of speculation could have prepared American women for today's backwards and appalling Supreme Court decision to strip away the Constitutional right to reproductive freedom. While New Jersey planned for this eventuality by codifying a woman's right to an abortion under state law, it is incumbent that we do more to fully secure reproductive rights and ensure access to reproductive health care without delay. Until we do, my Administration will take the necessary steps to fully protect both New Jersey's women and those who come to our state to access the freedom which may no longer exist in their home state. In New Jersey, women will always have full autonomy over their own bodies and their right to make their own medical decisions."

Congressman Lee Zeldin, who is running for New York governor, called the decision a "victory for life, for family, for the constitution, and for federalism."

"Today is a victory for life, for family, for the constitution, and for federalism. When my daughters, Mikayla and Arianna, were born 14.5 weeks early, I had the opportunity to witness life in the second trimester and it was absolutely beautiful. In a state that has legalized late term partial birth abortion and non-doctors performing abortion, in a state that refuses to advance informed consent and parental consent, and where not enough is being done to promote adoption and support mothers, today is yet another reminder that New York clearly needs to do a much better job to promote, respect and defend life."

Gov. Kathy Hochul was in New York City to help break ground on a new Stonewall Inn Visitor's Center. 

"This was supposed to be a day of celebration, a celebration of a groundbreaking of a historic place, here at Stonewall for the rights of the LGBTQ movement for the nation began," Hochul said. "Instead, it is a dark day for women across this nation who have long fought for the right to have control over their own bodies. A fight that my grandmother's generation had to fight, my mother's generation, my generation, my daughter's generation and apparently now my brand-new granddaughter's generation.

"This is repulsive at every level. To think that the Supreme Court says there's absolutely no constitutional right to an abortion, something that we've had in our state since 1970, in our nation since 1973, Roe v. Wade. So this is turning back the tides of time and progress. 

"It is frustrating, but this is New York. We're going to stand up. We're going to fight back, just as we did when the news of this case leaked months ago, that this could actually happen in our nation. 

"We now require insurance companies to cover abortion services. I added $35 million to our state budget to make sure that we have the resources necessary to expand services. Because New York, with the Statue of Liberty standing in our harbor, will always be a safe harbor - a place for women in search of freedom - freedom to control their own body - will be able to come to our state, the state of New York.

"And also, this Supreme Court, one day ago tells states, state leaders like myself, that I don't have complete control to determine who should be able to carry a gun in a place like this. But that same Supreme Court has no problem stripping away a woman's right to control her body and allowing states to regulate her decisions. Meaning, as a result, in states that don't allow abortions any longer, and that's what the supreme court gave them license to do, you'll end up with government-mandated pregnancies. How do you reconcile that with taking away the ability that they just did with the gun case yesterday for states to protect our citizens. 

"Elections have consequences. There's three Supreme Court justices who are there as a result of an election back in 2016. Let that be a message to voters everywhere. This is what happens when extremism takes over not just our country - it has infiltrated the Supreme Court of the United States of America. We lose our ability to protect our citizens from gun violence, and as women, we lose the right to make a decision - a very personal decision, about our own bodies." 

Hochul touted her "preemptive measures" ahead of the decision. 

"In the last two weeks, I signed a sweeping package of bills, not just the money we allocated, but also said we're going to protect and give immunity to abortion providers here in the state of New York, because they are at risk of lawsuits in other states where they give a personal right of individual to sue a personal right of action. So we took those steps. And we're going to continue to find other ways that can protect the rights of women are sacred in New York, the rights of women will never be jeopardized under my watch in this state, you can count on that. But our sisters across this nation who've been stripped of a right and we know that they'll be finding refuge, a safe harbor here in our state, and our providers are ready, will take care of it. But indeed, this is a day that will go down in history, the day when women are no longer allowed the responsibility to make a decision regarding their own reproductive freedom. This, my friends is a very, very dark day. Thanks, everyone.     

Andrew Giuliani, son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and candidate for New York governor, celebrated the decision with the following statement: 

"As a pro-life New Yorker, I celebrate the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe vs Wade. It's a victory for states' rights but more importantly, the sanctity of life. This protection for our most vulnerable New Yorkers is the enduring legacy of President Donald J. Trump."

New York City's Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan says the city "will continue to provide access to safe, legal abortions and quality reproductive health care to ANYONE who needs it."

American Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Anthony D. Romero says the ruling will "be remembered for the suffering it will impose on millions of people."

"Second-class status for women has once again become the law because of today's decision. We can wave away any pretense that this is the United States of America when it comes to the fundamental right to decide when and if to become a parent. Today's decision will be remembered for the suffering it will impose on millions of people. The court's ruling is a brazen assault on the fundamental rights of women — allowing politicians to ban abortion, criminalize people seeking medical care, and put doctors in jail for providing essential health care. Half the states are expected to ban abortion, forever changing the course of countless lives and condemning women and other pregnant people to a future they never envisioned or wanted for themselves.

"The Supreme Court has just plunged this country and itself into a historic crisis, one that will reverberate far beyond the ability to get an abortion. Forcing people to carry pregnancies against their will is just the beginning. The same politicians seeking to control the bodies of women and pregnant people will stop at nothing to challenge our right to use birth control, the right to marry whom you love, and even the right to vote. No right or liberty is secure in the face of a Supreme Court that would reverse Roe. 

"The courts are allowing politicians to attack our fundamental rights but they don't get the final say, we do. Banning abortion is deeply unpopular, and there will be no place for the politicians who passed these laws to hide from the consequences of their cruel attacks. We will hold them accountable in courthouses and statehouses, through protests in the streets, and at the ballot box. The road ahead is long, and the ACLU will be there every step of the way fighting for the power to decide for ourselves if and when to have a child. We fought for abortion rights before they were recognized by the court, and we are not deterred from this fight by today's decision."

New York Attorney General Letitia James shared some strong words after the opinion was released, and pledged "New York will always be a safe haven."

"Today's ruling is a vicious, dangerous, and deliberate attack on our most basic freedom as humans. Every single person in this country should have the right to make their own decisions about their own bodies. But make no mistake: We will not go back to the inhumane and restrictive pre-Roe era. Regardless of the situation at the national level, New York will always be a safe haven for anyone seeking an abortion. I will work tirelessly to ensure that low-income New Yorkers and people from hostile states have access to the care they need and deserve. I will always fight to protect our right to make decisions about our own bodies and expand access to this critical and lifesaving care."

The New York State Catholic Conference, released the following statement signed by the Catholic Bishops across New York: 

"We give thanks to God for today's decision of the United States Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. This just decision will save countless innocent children simply waiting to be born. 

"On this historic day, our gratitude extends to the millions of heroic Americans who have worked tirelessly toward this outcome for nearly a half-century. Women and men, children and adults, believers and non-believers, people of every culture and background have advocated for life. They have been a charitable and compelling voice for the voiceless, and today, their voice has been heard. As Catholics, we have prayed and fasted, held vigils, offered Masses, and peacefully witnessed in these last five decades. We have joined others in educating schoolchildren, opening pregnancy care centers, walking with mothers, offering post-abortion counseling, and marching, year after year, to the United States Supreme Court to witness for life. Today, our voice has been heard. 

"With the entire pro-life community, we are overjoyed with this outcome of the Court. However, we acknowledge the wide range of emotions associated with this decision. We call on all Catholics and everyone who supports the right to life for unborn children to be charitable, even as we celebrate an important historical moment and an answer to a prayer. 

"We must remember that this is a judicial victory, not a cultural one. The culture remains deeply divided on the issue, which will be evidenced by the patchwork of state statutes pertaining to abortion across the country. To change the culture and build a culture of life, we need to enact family-friendly policies that welcome children, support mothers, cherish families and empower them to thrive. We outlined our vision for a prolife New York in our recent statement, available here, and we rededicate ourselves to helping every expectant mother to carry her baby to term. 

"Building a culture of life is not solely the responsibility of the government or those heroic individuals working on the front lines, in crisis pregnancy centers and other ministries. All of us need to respect the dignity and sanctity of human life in everything we do: in how we treat our children, spouses and parents; in the way we behave in our place of work; in sum, how we live Jesus' two great commandments to love God and love our neighbor. 

"Love, charity and reverence for human life from the moment of conception through natural death - these will build and sustain a culture of life. 

"Millions of Americans have worked tirelessly for almost 50 years towards this outcome. We thank them with every fiber of our being. Their vital work continues, and we commit ourselves to it."

Planned Parenthood released a brief statement on Twitter: 

"We know you may be feeling a lot of things right now -- hurt, anger, confusion. We're here with you -- and we'll never stop fighting for you," they said in part. 

Here's a statement by Joy D. Calloway, Interim President & CEO, Planned Parenthood of Greater New York Action Fund:

"This is personal. The U.S. Supreme Court has robbed millions of people of their right to control their bodies and personal health care decisions. This cruel decision provokes a dangerous health crisis. People will be forced to overcome unjust barriers to access abortion or carry pregnancies against their will — at the risk of their health and lives.

"This is a profoundly dismal day for our country, but the fight is far from over. Abortion justice demands that we fiercely fight to ensure equitable access to the full spectrum of sexual and reproductive health care – and abortion is health care. Planned Parenthood of Greater New York Action Fund, alongside our reproductive health care, rights, and justice champions, won't back down until every New Yorker and people across the country are empowered with the resources and information, they need to determine their own futures. We will not compromise on our bodies, our dignity, or our freedom. We have strength in numbers and power in our united voices."

Gov. Ned Lamont vows as long as he is governor, Connecticut will continue to protect women's right to choose.

"Today's Supreme Court decision drastically oversteps the constitutional right for Americans to make their own reproductive healthcare decisions without government interference. Decisions on reproductive healthcare should only be made between a patient and their doctor without the interference of politicians. This ruling will not only result in a patchwork of unequal laws among the states, but more importantly it will result in dangerous and life-threatening situations similar to what this country witnessed countless times in the era prior to the landmark Roe case in which women died or were left severely injured because they could not access the medical care that they should have every right to access on their own.

"I am grateful to live in Connecticut, where our laws make it clear that women have a right to choose. As long as I am governor, reproductive rights will be protected in Connecticut and I will do everything in my power to block laws from being passed that restrict those rights."

New York City Mayor Eric Adams swiftly released a statement, calling the opinion an "affront to basic human rights."

"Two days in a row, politics came before people at the highest court in the land, and, as a result, the health of our nation now hangs in jeopardy. What the court has done today ignores the opinions of the majority of Americans, as it helps states control women's bodies, their choices, and their freedoms.  

There is nothing to call this Supreme Court opinion but an affront to basic human rights and one that aims to shackle women and others in reproductive bondage. 

Reproductive care is health care, but, put simply, this decision puts lives at risk.  

To all New Yorkers: I want to say that they can still access safe, legal abortions here in New York City. And to those seeking abortions around the country: Know that you are welcome here and that we will make every effort to ensure our reproductive services are available and readily accessible to you. This city will continue to respect, protect, and fulfill the core tenets of our fundamental rights to bodily autonomy and quality, critical, health care for those seeking access to an abortion." 

The organization Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America celebrated the opinion with the following statement: 

"Today marks an historic human rights victory for unborn children and their mothers and a bright pro-life future for our nation. Today the Supreme Court, in line with modern science and overwhelming public consensus, recognized the truth in every mother's heart and that pro-life advocates have argued all along: unborn children are human beings, deserving of protection. Every legislature in the land, in every single state and Congress, is now free to allow the will of the people to make its way into the law through our elected representatives.

"An entirely new pro-life movement begins today. We are ready to go on offense for life in every single one of those legislative bodies, in each statehouse and the White House. Over the next few years we will have the opportunity to save hundreds of thousands, even millions of lives by limiting the horror of abortion in many states. In this mission of justice and mercy, we redouble our commitment to women and families - building on a pro-life safety net that includes 2,700 pregnancy centers nationwide and initiatives like SBA Pro-Life America's Her PLAN, as well as a growing number of state Alternatives to Abortion programs, in order to love and serve both mother and child.

"Today's outcome raises the stakes of the midterm elections. Voters will debate and decide this issue and they deserve to know where every candidate in America stands, including those who toe the Democratic Party line of abortion on demand without limits. Federal as well as state lawmakers must commit to being consensus builders who advocate for the most ambitious protections possible. SBA Pro-Life America will work tirelessly to expose and defeat abortion extremists using the tools of democracy. Life is winning in the hearts and minds of decent men and women across this nation, and when Americans remember our foundational values, life will win."

Sen. Bob Menendez blasted the decision as "devastating and disastrous." Here's his full statement: 

"After years of crusading, Republicans have succeeded in plunging our nation back to the dark days where women lived without bodily autonomy and access to safe reproductive care. The Supreme Court's failure to uphold Roe v. Wade is a devastating and disastrous decision that will impact millions of American women and will forever remain a stain on our country's history. 

"With today's decision, the conservative majority on the Court has thrown out nearly 50 years of precedent — jeopardizing long-established progress on civil rights, voting rights, and LGBTQ+ rights. Make no mistake, the justices who struck down Roe have callously turned their backs on women and families all across America. As a result, where a woman lives will now determine her ability to access a full range of reproductive health options. The wealthy, the powerful, and the well-connected will still have access to any and all care they choose. But lower-income women, especially of color, will not. This is more than just a health care issue, this is a human rights issue.

"Today, I share your anger and disappointment. I share your frustration and your outrage. Tomorrow, and every day after until full reproductive health care access is fully restored, I stand ready to fight with you."

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand released a statement condmening the decision: 

"Today is a devastating day for all Americans. Today, more than half of the American population became second-class citizens, stripped of their constitutional right to privacy and bodily autonomy, regardless of where they live.  

"People in as many as 28 states will no longer have the right to control when, under what circumstances and with whom they want to have children. The right-wing justices of the Supreme Court have declared that they are no longer permitted to make decisions about their own bodies, their own families, and their own lives.

"Not only is this ruling an insult to women everywhere, but it is an affront to the 6 in 10 Americans who support women's reproductive freedom.

"This ruling proves that our judicial system no longer represents the will of the American people and no longer represents logic, science, or equal justice under the law.  

"But while today's ruling is a terrible setback in the fight for women's equality, it does not diminish our resolve. In fact, it is time to get to work and fight for our rights. At the federal level Democrats will fight to eliminate the filibuster and enshrine reproductive freedom into law. At the state level we will work to enact pro-choice legislation and flip legislatures to guarantee reproductive rights for all Americans. And in states like New York where reproductive health care is safe and accessible, we will open our doors to those seeking care.

"We cannot allow nearly 50 years of progress for women's rights to be erased in one fell swoop. We have simply come too far to turn back now."  

Over the past month, Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state legislature took steps to expand and ensure access to abortions for New Yorkers and people traveling from other states.

Hochul signed a six-bill package that included: 

• Protecting medical professionals from misconduct charges for providing legal abortions
• Preventing extradition of defendants in abortion-related cases if they're charged in another state
• And protecting the address information of employees and volunteers working at abortion providers

She has also pledged $35 million to support abortion providers.