This November, New Yorkers have the power to protect abortion rights and secure our fundamental freedoms for generations by voting YES on Proposal 1, the New York State Equal Rights Amendment. Prop 1 has the effect of cementing existing legal rights into the New York State Constitution, which currently prohibits race and religion based discrimination. The amendment expands coverage to include protections against discrimination by the government based on ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, and sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy.
As we have witnessed on the national front, complacency is dangerous, and laws that we assumed were safe may change overnight with the political tides. Prop 1 is about ensuring that we New Yorkers, not politicians, control our healthcare decisions and personal futures.
Throughout Westchester, many of us have shared personal stories about the importance of protecting reproductive freedoms and protecting the liberties of all New Yorkers. “With the fall of Roe v. Wade and increasing attacks on reproductive rights across the country, many of us have realized that the legislative protections we once took for granted can no longer be assumed,” stated one Scarsdale League of Women Voters board member, who is also the parent of two high school students. “That’s why Prop 1 is essential: it permanently protects reproductive rights, including the right to abortion and IVF, in New York’s state constitution, safeguarding them from future political rollbacks.”
Many in our community have also shared their concerns about other forms of discrimination—whether it’s age-based bias in the workplace or the fear that LGBTQ+ New Yorkers could face discrimination in employment, healthcare, or child custody. Prop 1 closes these gaps in our state constitution and brings the constitution into alignment with existing state law. It confirms that no New Yorker should be denied access to healthcare, public sector employment, or public services based on who they are. And it reinforces existing laws to ensure that LGBTQ+ New Yorkers are protected from discrimination, that seniors won’t face age-based bias in the workplace, and that pregnant individuals cannot be penalized or disadvantaged.
For another board member, this is personal. “I’ve seen how older colleagues and friends have struggled with age discrimination,” she stated. “It’s heartbreaking to watch someone’s skills and contributions be ignored because of their age. Prop 1 will make sure older New Yorkers are treated with the respect they deserve.”
All New Yorkers deserve the freedom to control our own lives, futures, and healthcare decisions – including personal reproductive decisions, such as our right to abortion. Although some have tried to divide and distract us from the amendment’s goal of guaranteeing our personal freedoms, Prop 1 does not change any existing laws or regulations. It simply codifies our fundamental civil rights and reproductive freedoms in the New York State Constitution.
To learn more about this ballot initiative, its significance, and its potential impact, the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale invites you to a community discussion with Jenna Lauter of the New York Civil Liberties Union, on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, at 7pm at the Scarsdale Public Library, 54 Olmsted Road, Scarsdale, NY 10583.
Join us in being part of the conversation, flipping over your ballot to vote YES on Prop 1 in November, and ensuring New York remains a stronghold for reproductive rights and equality.
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The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. The League of Women Voters neither supports nor opposes candidates or political parties. Membership is open to all persons 16 years and older and provides the opportunity to be active and involved in local, state and national issues.
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