From Albany Update, the blog of the New Yorkers for Consitutional Freedoms. For their complete analysis of issues discussed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in his Jan. 8 State of the Union Address, click here.

While the Governor’s comments fell short of the full-throated support for abortion expansion that he expressed in his 2013 State of the State, they were still deeply troubling. First, the Governor’s comments made it appear that anyone who opposed his late-term abortion expansion bill last year was “playing politics.” It seems that the Governor cannot face the reality that some legislators—including some in his own party—have a principled objection to late-term abortion expansion. Second, the Governor failed to acknowledge that nine of the ten elements of his Women’s Equality Act passed the State Senate in 2013, while the entire WEA passed the Assembly. It seems likely that the Governor could have achieved 90% of his women’s equality agenda last year if he had only been willing to do away with late-term abortion expansion; thus, the Governor is to blame for the failure to pass any part of the WEA.