Birth control is sold without a prescription in New York pharmacies
The context
New York is not the first state to allow pharmacists to distribute birth control more than two dozen others, including New Jersey, California and Oregon, already allow some version of the practice.
But few states have done as much to establish themselves as safe havens for reproductive care.
Just before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, Ms. Hochul allocated $35 million to support health care workers, anticipating an influx of abortion seekers from out of state.
Shortly thereafter, lawmakers passed a bill to protect abortion providers from out-of-state lawsuits and took the first steps toward enshrining the right to abortion in the state constitution.
This year, Ms. Hochul in her proposed budget called for spending $100 million to support reproductive health care providers.
At a press event at an Albany pharmacy on Tuesday, she presented the birth control news as part of a larger commitment to women’s autonomy and reproductive rights.
“Here in New York, you have the power to walk into a pharmacy – just like we are here today – and make the decision, ‘I want this. I want to be able to control the process. “I want to be in control of my life,” she said.
Why it matters
In the nearly two years since Roe was overturned, more than two dozen states have banned or severely restricted abortion. Women’s health care advocates say the restrictions only underscore the importance of making contraception widely available and accessible.
While many Democrats and some Republicans have expressed support for protecting reproductive freedoms at the federal level, Republican leadership in the House of Representatives has stymied all efforts to date. Many national Republicans — and former President Donald J. Trump, who is again the presumptive Republican nominee — have indicated they would support some kind of nationwide abortion ban.
Democrats hope the issue will play a key role in the November election, which will pit President Biden against Mr. Trump.
What’s next
New York’s rule will officially be on the books as of Tuesday, although it could take a few weeks for pharmacies to get everything up and running.
State officials said they expected about 85 percent of pharmacies to participate.
In November, New Yorkers will be asked to vote on the Equal Rights Amendment, which would formally enshrine protections against gender-based discrimination, including restrictions on reproductive care, in the state constitution.
The measure, which would also ban discrimination based on race, disability, gender identity and sexual orientation, would be the first of its kind.