New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) weighed in on the recent extradition order in place for a New York doctor who allegedly sent abortion medication into Louisiana, calling it a “ripple effect of overturning Roe v. Wade.”
“I will never, ever send this person into harm’s way to stand for 15 years of possible jail time for just being a doctor,” Hochul told MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow during an interview Thursday evening, “And that’s what our country has come to.”
“This is the ripple effect of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and the stacking of the Supreme Court under the last Trump administration,” she continued. “My mother’s generation fought for these rights. My generation was able to take them for granted.”
The comments come after Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill signed an extradition form earlier this month for Dr. Margaret Carpenter to appear, following a formal indictment from a grand jury for prescribing and sending the abortion pill within state boundaries in violation of the law.
Abortion is banned in Louisiana with exceptions for rape and incest. The two drugs used for medication abortions — mifepristone and misoprostol — are currently classified as Schedule IV controlled substances in the Pelican State.
Murrill said the form has been transferred to Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry’s (R) office for approval.
“Let me be clear on what this case is about. This is about a case in which a minor in Louisiana got pregnant. This minor was excited to have a baby, and she was actually planning a gender reveal party,” Landry said in a video addressing accusations against Carpenter.
“Her mom conspired with a New York doctor to get a chemical abortion pill in the mail and then forced that minor to take it,” he continued, adding “This pill ended up ending her pregnancy and that baby’s life.”
This is a first of its kind case that will test conflicting state laws. New York has a “shield law” in place which prevents health care providers from being subject to out of state investigations and prosecutions for transporting abortion medication.
Hochul has vowed to fight for Carpenter and others in similar situations at every turn.
“My God, we’ve got to stand up and fight and let these women know. And I’m sorry for the sisters in these states where they’re being repressed, but we should not allow government-mandated pregnancies,” she said Thursday on the “Rachel Maddow Show.”
“That’s what happens when women don’t have control of their own bodies. So, we’re always proud to stand up for women’s rights here in the state of New York,” the governor added.
The fight comes nearly three years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending the constitution right to abortion and allowing states to create their own policies.
