New York, New Jersey pushing to expand abortion access in response to Roe v. Wade draft leak
TRENTON, N.J. -- New York and New Jersey are anticipating that Roe v. Wade could be overturned, even though a decision won't come until late June, and each wants to be a so-called sanctuary state.
Efforts on the national level to boost abortion rights have failed, however. Senate Democrats failed to advance a bill that would make Roe v. Wade federal law.
"What's your reaction to today's vote?" CBS2's Dick Brennan asked Assemblymember Jessica Gonzalez Rojas, of Queens.
"Today's vote is deeply disappointing," she said.
Gonzalez Rojas is sponsoring a bill to bolster abortion care in New York state and says the leaked Supreme Court draft is already having an impact.
"We're already hearing now that clinics have many weeks' wait already, given the impending decision. We want to let folks know that the decision is not yet final," Gonzalez Rojas said.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy also announced a new push Wednesday to expand abortion access.
"We remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that all New Jerseyans have access to reproductive health care," he said.
He proposed a new bill expanding the state's pool of potential abortion providers to include advanced practice nurses, midwives and physician's assistants.
It also mandates that insurance plans in the state cover abortions with no cost sharing or out-of-pocket costs.
"Taking these steps will not only ensure that all women have access to the reproductive rights enshrined in New Jersey law, but will also, and just as importantly, I think, send a message to women across the nation that we simply will not go backwards," Murphy said.
Murphy says passing this new measure on top of a law passed in January will also protect health care providers and patients from legal retaliation by states that have outlawed or restricted abortion.
The abortion debate will likely intensify in the next few months, especially heading into the midterm elections.
Standing next to a poster with a picture of a baby, Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford said, "I'm being called a radical extremist because I believe she's valuable."
"Elect more pro-choice Democrats if you want to protect a woman's freedom and right to choose," Sen. Chuck Schumer said.
The Supreme Court justices are scheduled to meet Thursday.