Dear Friends of Life:

We are pleased and thankful to report that the 2013 regular legislative session has come to a close, and that late-term abortion expansion legislation has failed to pass the New York State Senate. This week our team is catching a much-needed breather after the intensity of the legislative session, but we did want to send you this brief report and our appreciation.

Last Friday, Senator Jeff Klein, leader of the Independent Democratic Conference, offered the late-term abortion expansion plank of Governor Cuomo’s Women’s Equality Act as a hostile amendment to a bill having to do with medical records. Thirty-two votes were needed to reject the amendment, and exactly thirty-two senators voted to reject the amendment. This marks the defeat of late-term abortion expansion in the 2013 regular session.  

New Yorkers for Life thanks each church, ministry, organization, and business that has bravely endorsed our Statement of Principles. We thank everyone who has participated in the effort, whether by writing letters to the editor, meeting with elected officials, praying, attending demonstrations, sharing our message on social media or contributing financially. This effort could not have succeeded without you.

We also thank Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos, and all elected officials who voted “no” on late-term abortion expansion in spite of immense pressure to do otherwise. The State Assembly voting record on this issue can be viewed here. Seven Democrat members of Assembly (Colton, Crespo, Cusick, Gabryszak, Kearns, Schimminger and Simanowitz) opposed abortion expansion, while two Republicans (Crouch and Duprey) supported it. In the State Senate, all thirty Republicans were joined by Democrat senators Simcha Felder and Ruben Diaz in voting down the hostile amendment that would have brought abortion expansion legislation to the floor. But incredibly, the self-proclaimed “pro-life” senator from Buffalo, Tim Kennedy, voted to bring the legislation to the Senate floor. Despite Kennedy’s support, the measure failed. It will be difficult for Senator Kennedy to refer to himself as pro-life in the future.

We thank all of our magnificent partner organization who helped work against Governor Cuomo’s Abortion Expansion Act: New York State Catholic Conference, New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, Chiaroscuro Foundation (41 Percent NYC), Americans United for Life, Conservative Party of New York State, Democrats for Life of America (DFLA), Feminists Choosing Life of New York, and New York State Right to Life.

Most of all, New Yorkers for Life thanks Almighty God, the Author of Life, who sees the plight of the unborn and has answered the prayers of His people.

This week, we celebrate. Next week, we pick up where we left off. There is already some discussion among dozens of legislators and their pro-abortion allies indicating they haven’t given up. Rest assured, neither will we.

Blessings,
The New Yorkers for Life Team

Here is our our Rockland legislators voted on this issue. Red indicates a prolife vote.

THANK YOU ASSEMBLYWOMAN RABBITT AND SENATOR LARKIN

NY ASSEMBLY — Vote to pass the Women’s Equality Act, including a component that would expand  abortion in New York.  PASSED 97-47

YES     Ellen Jaffe (Orangeburg & Ramapo)  SPONSOR
YES     Ken Zebrowski (Clarkstown & Haverstraw) SPONSOR
YES     James Skoufis (Stony Point)
NO       Annie Rabbitt (Ramapo) 

NY SENATE — Vote to allow the abortion component of the Women’s Equality Act to be considered as a separate bill.  FAILED 32-30

NO       William Larkin (Haverstraw and Stony Point)
YES     David Carlucci (rest of county)