On the 46th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the New York legislature passed a law protecting a woman’s right to abortions. The most controversial aspect of the law is its provision for abortions after 24 weeks, in cases of fetal in-viability or danger to the woman’s life or heath. According to the Guttmacher Institute, only slightly more than one percent of abortions are performed during or after 21 weeks of pregnancy. The law also took abortion off of the state’s criminal code, which prevents medical professionals from being criminally prosecuted.
The pro-choice community has lauded the law’s passage, considering it a protection against possible future decisions by the Supreme Court. The Catholic Bishops of New York State denounced the law, and many critics claim it is too far-reaching.