Tagged: abortion

  Today's panelists are WAMC's Alan Chartock, Newsman Ray Graf, and Times Union Associate Editor, Mike Spain. Joe Donahue moderates.

Topics include:
GOP Abortion Agenda
G8 Meeting
Obama on Surveillance
Graduation Rates
Green Transit

Women’s groups are putting pressure on the State Senate’s ruling coalition to take up Governor Cuomo’s Women’s Equality Act, which includes  an abortion rights provision.

Senator DeFrancisco, a Syracuse Republican and Chair of the Finance Committee, said in an interview with public radio and television that most New York women aren’t that interested in the proposal, “and would not even lose a night’s sleep about expanding abortion rights”.

A key component of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s 2013 agenda appears in jeopardy, as the governor concedes he does not currently have enough votes in the state Senate to bring an abortion rights bill he has championed to the floor.

State Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos says a bill to put into state law the abortion rights protections in the federal Roe v. Wade decision won’t be voted on in the state Senate.

“We’re  not going to put in on the floor,” Skelos said. “In my opinion and the opinion of my conference, that bill is not moving.”

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says he’ll know in a couple of weeks whether two key items on his end of session agenda will become law- an abortion rights bill and public financing of political campaigns.

The governor says Republicans, who co-lead the state Senate, continue to oppose a measure to clarify a women’s right to choose abortion. The GOP has also steadfastly been against public financing of campaigns.   

“It is a fundamental ideological difference on choice and public financing,” Cuomo said. “I get it.”