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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

PROJECTS THAT EMPOWER FCLNY organizes and participates in diverse public education projects that highlight and address the impacts of publicly sanctioned lethal violence on wome n and children. GET INVOLVED FCLNY’s Resource Indexes - NY FCLNY is committed to on-going efforts to address the root causes of publicly sanctioned lethal violence, and educating on life-affirming resources available to distressed women and children in New York. FCLNY's Resource Indexes are state-wide, hyperlinked directories categorized into 6 NY regions: Buffalo, Rochester Syracuse, Albany, Spring Valley, and NYC. Please download and distribute our Resource Indexes! BREAD & BED RESOURCE INDEX - NY FCLNY's Bread & Bed Resource Index contains nutrition and lodging resources throughout NY including: Food pantries Soup kitchens Family and women's shelter Maternity homes Affordable and transitional housing Download Palm Card PREGNANCY RESOURCE GUIDE - NY FCLNY's Pregnancy Resource Centers (PRC) Index contains linkage to PRC's across NY. PRC services may include: Cribs, strollers, infant and children's car seats Clothing, diapers, food Pregnancy testing Referrals to adoption programs and counseling Download Palm Card SURVIVORS OF DVAST RESOURCE INDEX-NY FCLNY's Survivors of DVAST Resource Index contains an outline of services for domestic violence and sex trafficking (DVAST) survivors across NY which may include: Shelter Counseling Legal aid Support groups Download Palm Card ADOPTION RESOURCE INDEX - NY FCLNY's Adoption Resource Index contains: Information on services and benefits for prospective birth mothers and adoptive parents A list of NY adoption agencies and NY Department of Social Services (DSS) offices Download Palm Card FCLNY’s Women and Children Resource Fairs FCLNY raises awareness of local, tangible resources available to vulnerable women and children in NY by partnering with diverse resource providers and outreach efforts. Resources include affordable & accessible health care and child care, food and shelter assistance, pregnancy help and adoption services. Our Resource Fairs are Fun & Informative! Please reach out to volunteer or bring a fair to your area. FCLNY Conducts Ongoing Resource Outreach throughout the State of New York Domestic Violence and Sex Trafficking Hotline Poster Campaign! GOAL #1: Post Domestic Violence and Sex Trafficking (DVAST) Hotline Posters in Every Healthcare and Abortion Facility in NY. Healthcare providers are "one of the few professionals lik ely to interact" with victims of domestic violence and sex trafficking (DVAST), women who experience an increased risk of coerced abortions. Survivors of DVAST make up a sizable percentage of abortion clinic clients. Hotlines help release women from DVAST. We nee d you! We are excitedly building 6 new teams, led by courageous FCLNY supporters across NYS to help us reach our DVAST Hotline Poster goal, and end cycles of violence. Please reach out to join a team and help us distribute these vital hotlines. You can also download the posters here. Goal #2: Help draft and enact NY policies that require all public healthcare and abortion facilities to post DVAST hotline posters. NY does not require ANY entity to post the DV hotline. NY requires only a limited category of 'healthcare providers' to post the Trafficking Hotline. Many abortion clinics are either not required to post the Trafficking Hotline or fail to, though required by law to do so. EVERY WOMAN AND GIRL DESERVES ACCESS TO DVAST HOTLINES! References Human Trafficking: The Role of The Health Care Provider Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence Among an Abortion Clinic Population American Journal of Public Health Identification and Intervention by Health Care Providers National Resource Center on Domestic Violence Healthcare Professionals’ Own Experiences of Domestic Violence and Abuse: A Meta-Analysis of Prevalence and Systematic Review of Risk Markers and Consequences Sage Journals Sex Trafficking Victims at Their Junction with the Healthcare Setting—A Mixed-Methods Inquiry Journal of Human Trafficking The Health Consequences of Sex Trafficking and Their Implications for Identifying Victims in Healthcare Facilities Annals of Health Law Reproductive control by others: means, perpetrators and effects BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health Understanding Commercially Sexually Exploited Youths’ Facilitators and Barriers Towards Contraception Use: I Didn’t Really Have A Choice Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology FCLNY's Emergency Baby Showers & Direct Giveaway Outreach FCLNY conducts emergency baby showers for women & children in need and provides critically needed infant and children's clothing, baby formula, diapers, strollers, toys etc to low-income families. Please reach out if you know of a family in urgent need! Practical Assistance DIAPER BANKS HELP FAMILIES TO HELP CLICK HERE TO HELP CLICK HERE

Photo by: Defense Visual Information Distribution THE PRO-LIFE FEMINIST FCLNY publishes and distributes quarterly e-newsletters and periodic e-updates regarding its mission driven activities. Our newsletters and updates highlight FCLNY's educational efforts and calls to action in each of its SEVEN purpose inspired endeavors: Community Encounters, Scholarly Events, Film Involvement, Media Outreach, Grassroots Campaigns, Projects That Empower and Legislative Advocacy. Stay in The Loop Yes, Susan B. Anthony was Pro-Life Published in the Wall Street Journal Read the article here Suffrage Movement ~ Historical Background Restellism/Abortion Racism "Suffragists believed that greater independence of women would eliminate or at least greatly reduce poverty, rape, and prostitution. They believed these evils produced women’s desire to abort their children. Women’s enfranchisement would provide education and employment opportunities, change divorce laws related to drunken husbands, and take away the stigma of single motherhood. Having access to the vote would ‘scourge the evil of abortion’. " Susan B. Anthony was way ahead of the curve in propelling the nation's advancements in human rights for all human beings. Her newspaper, The Revolution, loudly and consistently supported suffrage for black women and condemned racism. Read more Read more The Pro-Life Feminist E-Newsletter Click on i mage to view and arrows to scroll 2026 February February February January 2025 December December December December December November November November November September September September August August August June June June June May April April April April 2024 December December December November November November October October (2x) October (2x) October October September September August July July July July July June June June May May May