Albany, N.Y. - Sen. David Valesky and other breakaway Democrats in the New York State Senate today made a last-ditch plea to their Republican partners to bring a proposal to change abortion laws to the floor.
"This bill would not change or alter existing state and federal laws allowing a healthcare provider or institution to refrain from providing an abortion for religious or moral beliefs," Valesky, D-Oneida, and three other members of the Independent Democratic Conference wrote to the state's 59 other senators. "Nor would it expand the class of individuals permitted to perform an abortion."
And, the IDC wrote, the bill proposed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo does not alter the current ban on partial-birth abortions.
But it seems unlikely the message will sway Senate Republicans, who share leadership of the upper chamber with the IDC. The GOP members have said this week they will not bring the bill, S5881, to the floor before session is expected to end on Friday.
The New York State Assembly, meanwhile, was debating a full 10-point version of the law this afternoon. It was expected to pass in the Democratically-controlled house.
But whether the Assembly would also take up the bill as 10 separate items is unknown.
The outcome of the Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Women's Equality Act is the last big unknown in this year's legislative session. Tuesday night, Cuomo split the bill into 10 separate pieces of legislation to try to force a vote on the abortion plank while salvaging the remaining legislation that combats human trafficking, addresses workplace issues for women and helps victims of domestic violence.
Nine of the 10 bills have enough support to pass the Senate. But Republicans senators are not planning to bring the abortion language to a vote. Sen. John DeFrancisco, R-Syracuse, repeated that feeling this morning.
"I've been in Albany long enough to know never say never," DeFrancisco said. "But I don't think it's coming to the floor."
And if it did, he said, there are 33 votes against it: 31 from all Republican senators and two from conservative Democrats.
It takes 32 votes in the Senate to pass a bill. The abortion bill would have only 30 votes supporting it.
That puts the focus back on the Assembly, whose leaders have said they will only pass a bill that includes the entire Equality Act. Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli, D-Syracuse, said this morning the Democratic conference - which controls the Assembly - hasn't discussed whether to move on the nine separate items.
Votes are expected to continue in Albany through Friday.
Contact Teri Weaver at: tweaver@syracuse.com, 315-470-2274 or on Twitter at @TeriKWeaver.
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