With all the news buzzing today about New York governor Eliot Spitzer, it’s perhaps useful to look at his recently proposed legislation on the issue of abortion. It’s set alarm bells ringing throughout the state. My parish is one of many that set up tables in the church vestibule and organized people to sign petitions to fight this bill.

What does it entail?

The Commonweal blog has a summary:

Spitzer’s legislation would declare abortion a “fundamental right.” The New York State Catholic Conference argues that state regulators could use such a “radical” law to coerce Catholic hospitals to provide abortions. Spitzer said that was an exaggeration, according to The Times. (The proposed statute contains language declaring that “the state shall not discriminate against the exercise of the rights” to abortion and contraception “in the regulation or provision of benefits, facilities, services or information.” What does that mean?)

Spitzer is not one to walk away from a fight. New York is 39 percent Catholic, according to the recent Pew survey on the U.S. Religious Landscape. The only way Spitzer really can pass the abortion-rights bill is if the Democrats win long-sought control of the State Senate from Republicans. The Dems are within one seat of doing that, and controlling the Legislature. So Spitzer would make abortion a key issue in the state legislative campaign this fall.

In nominating Spitzer for governor, New York Democrats had rejected Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, who had gotten national attention for proposing ways to reduce the number of abortions. Will the next governor be more conciliatory on abortion than Spitzer has been?

You can read more about the proposed bill on abortion at this link.