To the Editor and readers of River Journal:
I write in praise of our New York State government leaders. Where other states pass laws that force women to endure unnecessary pelvic exams (Missouri) and government-forced pregnancy (Alabama), our elected officials improve the health of New Yorkers:
- They passed the Reproductive Health Act and Comprehensive Contraceptive Coverage Act, two laws that mean a New York woman controls her own body — not politicians, not insurers.
- They set up a Maternal Mortality Review Board to find out why New York ranks 30th in the US with too many mothers dying.[1]
- They passed the Boss Bill and now a New York woman gets to decide what contraceptive to use, not her employer.
By these measures the leaders of the State Senate, State Assembly and the Governor make New York a healthier place to live.
I personally thank them for keeping politics out of my medical exam room. I urge you to thank them too.
Sincerely,
Kate Permut
Scarborough, NY
[1] https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-receives-report-new-york-state-taskforce-maternal-mortality-and-disparate-racial
The commonsense bills passed by New York legislature this year will strengthen women’s access to reproductive health services, preserve their ability to make decisions about that care, and address the problem of maternal mortality in the state. Ms. Permut’s straightforward review of these achievements stands in stark contrast to the overwrought and inaccurate response of the anti-abortion lobby that has sought to portray the legislation as something radical and unprecedented.