Editorials

Gov. Hochul Takes On The Supreme Court

Gov. Kathy Hochul appears to be taking action as if she has more power than the U.S. Supreme Court.

Hochul — who is Catholic — chastised the Supreme Court because it overturned Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.

“The Supreme Court of the United States of America has stripped away the state of New York’s right and responsibility to protect its citizens with a decision — which we are still digesting — which is frightful in its scope of how they are setting back this nation and our ability to protect our citizens back to the days of our founding fathers,” Hochul’s statement said. “And the language we’re reading is shocking,” it added.

The Supreme Court’s ruling stated that the abortion question should not have federal protections and should be voted on at the state level. Afterward, Gov. Hochul backed a highly expansive women’s health program that will now allow late-term abortions here in New York to anyone in the U.S. who wants one.

The new state constitutional amendment also puts the burden of financing the $85 million program for this fiscal year on all New York taxpayers, regardless of their religious beliefs.

Last month, Hochul also had blistering criticism for the pro-life movement when she called its proponents uncivilized at the bill signing.

“This is the United States of America, where freedom and liberty are supposed to mean something. It’s the rock upon which we were founded. It is supposed to mean something. Except in the eyes of some Neanderthals who say, women are not entitled to those rights.”

Also, at the time of the signing, Kristen Curran, director of government relations for the New York State Catholic Conference, said, “This package of bills seeks to encourage abortion tourism rather than helping women and children who may be in need.”

Hochul and the state’s Democratic leaders are also doubling down against any pro-life initiatives within the state. While no abortion centers have been targeted with criminal activities, a pro-life center in Buffalo was firebombed last month.

Yet Hochul directed the Division of Criminal Justice Services to coordinate $10 million in funding for “safety and security capital grants for abortion providers and reproductive health centers to further secure their facilities and ensure the safety of patients and staff.”

No such funding was provided for pro-life centers in the state.

Hochul, at the signing, also took the opportunity to declare war on crisis pregnancy centers themselves. The new law “authorizes a study to examine unmet health and resource needs and impact of limited service pregnancy centers” she signed authorizes state entities to investigate pro-life centers and requires crisis pregnancy centers to turn over information on donors and confidential patient records.

Meanwhile, she also signed the new law “Abortion Providers and Patients in the Address Confidentiality Program,” which lockdown the same information she is seeking from the pro-life centers.

Hochul calls herself pro-choice. But these edicts do not fully respect the choices made by all.

One thought on “Gov. Hochul Takes On The Supreme Court

  1. And what with the Bishops of NYS do about it! She needs to be public chastised, for how can she boast that she is Catholic. it just does not make sense to any practicing Catholic and we continue to lose momentum in the public arena for what we believe in for others feel that we have a double standard in what the Church teaches us.