Hi there —

In the aftermath of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, I promised that New York would remain a safe haven for reproductive rights and for the healthcare professionals who provide women with the care they need and deserve.

That’s why I am rejecting the extradition order from the Governor of Louisiana for a New York doctor who provided abortion pills to a Louisiana patient.

Louisiana might have changed its laws after Roe was overturned, but that has no bearing on the laws here in New York.

Doctors take an oath to protect their patients. I took an oath of office to protect all New Yorkers, and I will not only uphold our constitution but also the laws of our land.

As I told Rachel Maddow last night:

We have a doctor who is trying to help someone in another state who has been denied the right to control her own body. She did what her oath requires her to do — and now she’s being treated like a criminal in another state. I said hell no to the Louisiana Governor’s extradition request. I would never send a doctor into harm’s way and potentially jail time just for being a doctor and serving her patients.

We’re standing up for women’s freedoms and rights here in New York and across the country. If you’re with me, please pitch in today.

I’m always proud to stand up for reproductive rights in the state of New York — the place where the fight for women’s rights started.

Thank you.

— Governor Kathy Hochul