The U.S. Supreme Court said Friday it had decided in a 6-3 ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade in a landmark decision that reverses a nearly 50-year-old precedent granting women the right to an abortion in all 50 states.
The decision fell along ideological lines, with Republican-appointed judges voting to overturn Roe and the court’s three liberals dissenting. Up to 26 U.S. states are likely to ban or severely restrict abortion over the coming hours, days and weeks.
New York Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, is among those who have promised to protect and support women who choose to have an abortion, and pledged to make medical services available to women traveling across states for an abortion.
“To those seeking abortions around the country — know that you are welcome here and that we will make every effort to ensure our reproductive services are available and readily accessible to you,” he said.
“This city will continue to respect, protect, and fulfill the core tenets of our fundamental rights to bodily autonomy and quality, critical, health care for those seeking access to an abortion,” the mayor added.
New York’s Governor, Kathy Hochul, wrote on Twitter TWTR, +2.28% : “Today the Supreme Court rolled back the rights of millions of Americans, disregarding their interests and — more importantly — their lives.”
“Access to abortion is a fundamental human right, and it remains safe, accessible, and legal in New York,” she added. Other governors of Democratic states, including Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, have made similar pronouncements.
In New York, women are legally permitted to get an abortion for any reason up to 28 weeks of pregnancy, or later if their health is at risk or their pregnancy will not survive, according to New York City’s Department of Health.
“The decision to have an abortion is a personal one. No one should pressure you to have or not have an abortion,” it says. Health insurance, including Medicaid, may also cover the cost of an abortion in New York State.
The Supreme Court decision pertains to a case related to a Mississippi law that sought to ban most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned, abortion will no longer be protected federally.
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