BUFFALO, N.Y. — If the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade after an opinion was leaked this week seems to suggest, New York is preparing for more people to come here from states where abortion will be banned.
Speaking on MSNBC on Thursday, Gov. Kathy Hochul said that she's expecting to see that influx, just as it was half a century ago.
"We had it in 1970, the right to an abortion, that we had over 200,000 women come to our state at that time," Hochul said. "So we fully anticipate there will be people who travel here, but it is so unfortunate that this will even have to be the situation, where people have to flee their own homes, flee their families, just to get a basic human right."
Hochul also says she expects this will be a big issue in this year's elections, including the one she's running in for governor.
Also on Thursday, U.S. Rep. Chris Jacobs called the landmark 1973 ruling "flawed" and said the leaked draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade is "the right way to go."
"If in fact Roe v. Wade is overturned, you know, I am pro-life," Jacobs said. "I think that is a good thing. Let's keep in mind this is not ending abortions, this is just pushing it back to the states to engage in their democratic process and how they want to treat this issue."
While that decision wouldn't have much of an impact in New York right away, it would have far-reaching consequences in other places, with abortion outlawed in almost half of U.S. states.