Search Results

Beneath the technical language of New York’s pending State Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 budget (covering April 1, 2026–March 31, 2027) lies a major policy shift that many New Yorkers may not realize is happening at all. What is unfolding in Albany is not a single transparent vote on abortion funding, but a quiet, cumulative strategy to entrench abortion as a permanent, taxpayer-funded priority in New York State. Through the Executive Budget process advanced by the administration of Governor Kathy Hochul—and amplified by coordinated advocacy campaigns—tens of millions of dollars are being proposed, renewed, or expanded across multiple programs that collectively total roughly $100 million in abortion-related spending. Some components, such as the Reproductive Freedom and Equity Program (RFEP) , have already been enacted in prior state budgets , while others are being pushed as “must-fund” priorities in the FY 2027 budget negotiations without standalone bills or clear public debate, including: A $35 million state “backfill” to replace lost federal Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood and affiliated abortion providers An increase to $30 million annually for the Reproductive Freedom and Equity Program, expanding taxpayer-funded abortion grants $20 million in sustained funding for medication abortion and care later in pregnancy, despite ongoing concerns about Medicaid reimbursement structures and oversight $15 million in continued capital and infrastructure funding for abortion providers, including facility upgrades and debt retirement under the Reproductive Health Care Improvement Program Together, these items are being advanced through the state budget appropriation process rather than through discrete legislation, limiting transparency and shielding the scale of abortion-related spending from direct public scrutiny. This piecemeal approach obscures the true scope of state involvement in abortion, shields lawmakers from accountability, and steadily diverts scarce public resources away from life-affirming supports like prenatal care, adoption services, and assistance for mothers in need. Voters and legislators who oppose abortion should recognize this moment for what it is: a deliberate effort to normalize, expand, and publicly finance abortion through the budget process—and they should say no before these priorities become permanently embedded in New York State law.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 7, 2026 Contact: info@fclny.org, FCLNY.ORG Feminists Condemn NY Governor’s Signing of Medical Aid in Dying Act (MAID) State-Sanctioned Suicide Is Anti-Women, Anti-Human Rights, and a Betrayal of the Vulnerable Feminists Choosing Life of New York (FCLNY), a statewide human rights organization committed to a consistent ethic of life, expresses profound dismay and moral outrage at the Governor’s signing of New York’s Medical Aid in Dying Act on February 6. "MAID does not represent compassion, progress, or respect for human dignity. It represents the abandonment of New Yorkers—especially women, people with disabilities, the poor, and those struggling with illness, isolation, or despair—at the moment they most need care, protection, and hope," claims FCLNY's executive director, Michele Sterlace-Accorsi. FCLNY opposes all forms of state-sanctioned lethal violence, including abortion and assisted suicide. "The legalization of physician-assisted suicide is not a neutral policy choice; it is a profound shift in how the state understands the value of human life," adds Sterlace-Accorsi. "When government authorizes suicide as a medical “treatment,” it sends a chilling message: some lives are no longer worth the investment of care, compassion, and resources." Medical Aid in Dying Is Anti-Women Amy Crossed, FCLNY Board Director, states: "Assisted suicide laws disproportionately impact women. Studies show that in jurisdictions where Medical Aid in Dying is legal, women are more likely than men to use these laws. This is not surprising. Women are more likely to live longer, to be widowed, to experience poverty in old age, to shoulder caregiving burdens, and to internalize feelings of being a “burden” on others. When the state offers death instead of support, women are subtly—but powerfully—pushed toward choosing it." "Women deserve better than a prescription for death. They deserve affordable, effective, and compassionate hospice and palliative care. They deserve mental health support, pain management, social connection, and the assurance that their lives retain dignity and meaning even in illness, disability, or dependency, " says Cecelia Lester, FCLNY's Board President. Assisted Suicide Increases Overall Suicide Rates "Evidence from states and countries where assisted suicide is legal shows a troubling pattern: legalization is associated with significant increases in overall suicide rates, " highlights Sterlace-Accorsi. "Rather than preventing desperate deaths, state-sanctioned suicide normalizes self-destruction as a solution to suffering. This cultural shift endangers everyone—but especially vulnerable individuals already at risk of suicide, including people with disabilities, those experiencing depression, and even children and adolescents who absorb the message that some lives are expendable," posits Lester. Extreme Autonomy at the Expense of the Vulnerable According to Sterlace-Accorsi: "The Medical Aid in Dying Act embodies an extreme and distorted vision of autonomy—one that elevates individual choice above social responsibility and communal care. True freedom does not exist in a vacuum. Choices are shaped by economic pressure, inadequate healthcare, fear of dependency, and social isolation. For the poor, the disabled, and the marginalized, “choice” can quickly become coercion. A society that offers death instead of care has failed its most basic human rights obligations." State-Sanctioned Suicide Degrades Us All FCLNY believes that government-approved suicide devalues life itself. It tells people who are suffering that their continued existence is negotiable, conditional, and costly. The group says that: "True compassion never involves helping someone die because caring for them is inconvenient or expensive. True compassion means refusing to abandon anyone—especially those who most need support, love, and hope." "New York should be leading the nation in expanding access to high-quality hospice care, palliative medicine, disability services, and mental health support—not in authorizing doctors to help patients end their lives," claims the organization. According to Lester, "Feminists Choosing Life of New York will continue to stand for women, for the vulnerable, and for the radical, unwavering belief that every human life has inherent dignity and worth." "New Yorkers deserve better than MAID. Compassion must never be confused with killing," she adds. XXX

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Bernadette Patel,  BPFCNLY@gmail.com  1 (480) 388-0280 Feminists Choosing Life of New York Urges Governor Hochul to Reconsider Support for Medical Aid in Dying Act Rochester, NY — December 17, 2025 — Feminists Choosing Life of New York (FCLNY) — a statewide human-rights organization that promotes pro-life feminism and the consistent life ethic, affirming the inherent dignity and value of all human life from conception through natural death — today calls on Governor Kathy Hochul to withdraw her support for the Medical Aid in Dying Act (MAID). Consistent with FCLNY’s principles, the organization opposes MAID as a destructive act of violence that ends human life and undermines society’s obligation to care for its most vulnerable members. MAID intentionally terminates life, and reframing it as “medical care” does not eliminate its harm — it normalizes suicide, the deliberate ending of one’s own life. In her recent Albany Times Union op-ed and public statements, Governor Hochul announced her intention to sign an amended version of the MAID legislation, which permits medically assisted death for terminally ill adults under specified conditions. The amendments include procedural safeguards such as a five-day waiting period, dual written and oral requests, and a mandatory mental-health evaluation to confirm decision-making capacity.  “Regardless of any purported safeguards, MAID is an act of violence that kills people,” says Michele Sterlace-Accorsi, Executive Director of Feminists Choosing Life of New York. “Legalizing assisted suicide — even with procedural safeguards — sends a troubling message that some lives are less worthy of protection when illness, disability, or suffering is involved. And where MAID is legal, suicide rates increase, especially for women, studies show.” Why MAID Remains Harmful Despite procedural amendments, the law still authorizes physician-assisted death for terminally ill patients and retains risks critics have repeatedly warned against, including  Undermining suicide-prevention efforts by framing death as a treatment option rather than investing in care. Vulnerability to coercion or social pressure, which cannot be fully mitigated by procedural safeguards, particularly for people with disabilities, chronic illness, or inadequate access to palliative care. Structural inequities that leave individuals isolated, fearful of being a burden, or lacking access to mental-health services, making voluntary consent questionable. Reinforcing deadly assumptions about quality of life, codifying bias against people whose lives involve dependence or suffering. FCLNY Calls for a Better Path Feminists Choosing Life of New York urges Governor Hochul to reconsider MAID and instead champion policies that reflect true compassion: Expand access to quality palliative and hospice care Strengthen mental-health and suicide-prevention services Improve disability supports and community-based care “Perpetuating a culture where death is an acceptable solution to suffering contradicts our duty to care for every life, especially those who are most vulnerable,” states Bernadette Patel, an FCLNY Spokesperson and Grassroots Outreach Director. XXX

PRO - WOMAN PRO - LIFE Feminists Choosing Life of New York (FCLNY) is a state-wide human rights coalition that embraces and promotes whole life feminism and the consistent life ethic. FCLNY's public advocacy draws connections between the root causes of violence, inequality and the social forces that dehumanize. DONATE NOW FCLNY Supports the Consistent Life Ethic We oppose publicly sanctioned lethal violence including violent military action, abortion, assisted suicide and capital punishment, and educate on the impacts and root causes including poverty, domestic violence, sex trafficking, and racism . FCLNY advocates for peaceful solutions. We accomplish our goals through SEVEN bold initiatives: • Community Encounters • Scholarly Events • Film Involvement • Media Outreach • Grassroots Campaigns • Projects that Empower • Legislative Advocacy FCLNY first TV streaming ad! (stay tuned for stations and start dates) FCLNY is reaching millions by radio and podcast! Read Scripts on Grassroots Campaigns Page National Public Radio 00:00 / 00:15 WTBQ 00:00 / 00:30 iHeart Radio - Syracuse 00:00 / 00:16 WOLF FM 00:00 / 00:31 Station of The Cross 00:00 / 00:31 iHeartRadio- Albany 00:00 / 00:16 Station of the Cross 00:00 / 00:30 WHUD 00:00 / 00:31 The BEAR 00:00 / 00:31 iHeart Radio - Albany 2 00:00 / 00:31 Make The Switch Now! More than half of abortions in the U.S. now involve two “abortion pills,” Mifepristone and Misopristol. It is currently legal in NY for retail pharmacies to mail abortion pills with a prescription via tele-health. CVS and Walgreens have already obtained their certification to dispense abortion pills. Walgreens started providing medication abortions in NY. Giant retail pharmacies are more likely to undergo the expensive certification process than independent privately owned family pharmacies. Chemical abortion kills human beings and increases health risks for women. Retail pharmaceutical sale of abortion pills is deadly for unborn children and harmful for women. As long as privately owned pharmacies continue to resist selling abortion pills we will continue to PROMOTE AND SUPPORT them. Sign Petition Here FCLNY'S INDEPENDENT PHARMACY RESOURCE INDEX - NY A Post-Roe world needs you! FCLNY signed the statement, and you can too! Sign Here Building a Post-Roe Future The Pro Life movement has always recognized the importance of supporting women facing unplanned pregnancies. We are Pro Life conservatives, moderates, and liberals united in our conviction that every human life has value- including the lives of both the unborn child and that child's mother. We believe that our society should prioritize the needs of both, and that ultimately this can only be achieved by significant changes in public policy including expanded child tax credits paid parental leave flexible work hours affordable child care prenatal child support laws Impacts of NY's Reproductive Health Act (RHA) CLICK HERE FOR ANALYSIS Click on the image below to watch the video FCLNY'S BROCHURE DOWNLOAD 1/6 For Printed Copies Message us info@fclny.org HEAR PROFESSOR TERESA COLLETT SPEAK ABOUT CORE FEMINIST ISSUES Listen, Part I Listen, Part II ORGANIZE, AGITATE, EDUCATE FCLNY implements its purposes through Community Encounters, Scholarly Events, Film Involvement, Media Outreach, Grassroots Campaigns, Projects that Empower and Legislative Advocacy. READY? SET GO! LEARN MORE GO! FCLNY DEPENDS ON BROAD PUBLIC SUPPORT TO EXIST. Please Donate! COMMUNITY ENCOUNTERS LEARN MORE SCHOLARLY EVENTS LEARN MORE FILM INVOLVEMENT LEARN MORE MEDIA OUTREACH LEARN MORE GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGNS LEARN MORE PROJECTS THAT EMPOWER LEARN MORE LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY LEARN MORE GALLERY UPCOMING EVENTS 2026! EVENTS! REGISTRATION February 27th - March 1st AAPLOG Conference Seattle, WA February 5th **"Feminist Politics" UB Gender Studies Webinar Virtual

Press Releases Grassroots Feminist Voices Feminist Divide Over Issue of Abortion FCLNY and Rochester Community Betterment Join Forces on Women's Equality Day Reproductive Health Act Feminists Oppose the Reproductive Health Act Feminists Oppose Abortion Expansion in NYS Budget Feminists Applaud the NYS Senate Health Committee for Defeating the Reproductive Health Act and Oppose Its Passage as a Hostile Amendment Liberal Feminists Oppose Reproductive Health Act and RHA-like Bills Pending Across the US RHA Contains Gosnell-like Components

A Women's Guide to Healthcare NY is a collaborative effort of FCLNY, Feminists for Nonviolent Choices and the Consistent Life Network. WGH's brochure and phone apps. provide a listing of health services available to women & children in NY, including families of low income. The healthcare services listed are provided at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Unlike Planned Parenthood, FQHCs do not provide abortion. FQHCs accept Medicaid & Medicare, offer health insurance support & language translation services. FCLNY & FFNVC are working to expand WGH NY State-Wide. The following services may be available at select locations, pregnancy testing, ob/gyn care, birth control (including natural family planning), prenatal care, STD/HIV testing, cervical cancer screening & breast exams, mammograms, pediatrics, family medicine, mental health counseling (including for depression, anxiety, and domestic violence victimization), and substance abuse assessment and referral. DOWNLOAD BROCHURE NOW Download & Share Women's Guide to Healthcare NY Phone Apps. WGH APPLE PHONE APP. WGH ANDROID PHONE APP. The WGH NY is a guide, not a comprehensive listing of all medical services available to women in WNY. It is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be an endorsement of any FQHCs or their services.