Newsletter of Westchester Coalition

for Legal Abortion, Inc.

Vol. 31, No. 2 Summer, 2002

Please see Bramson on page 7

McCall: ProChoice All the Way

WCLA MakesNews withBramson

Alan HevesiWas ThereBack When

Please see Hevesi on page 4

Please see McCall on page 4

Carl McCall has been anadvocate for choice for aslong as WCLA can remem-ber. His tenure in public

office and the diversity of positions thathe has held have given him the oppor-tunity both to see the importance of awoman’s right to choose and to be avocal proponent of choice. Most recently, as Comptroller,McCall has been responsible for allinvestments made or held by New YorkState’s public pension fund. When theChristian Right orchestrated a campaignto halt corporate contributions to familyplanning services, McCall changedpension fund policy and used NewYork’s shareholder power to voteagainst this obvious attack on reproduc-tive freedom. The resolutions weredefeated.

McCall has consistently spoken outagainst the health policies of the Patakiadministration that force women to goto extraordinary lengths to accessneeded family planning services. Hehas protested the State’s assignment ofMedicaid patients to managed careplans that don’t provide family plan-ning services, and he has criticized theState’s failure to contract with third-party family planning providers whenFidelis, a Catholic health insurer thatrefuses to provide reproductive ser-vices, was the only insurer available toparticipants in public health programs. McCall has challenged governmentintervention in a woman’s right tochoose since he arrived in Albany in1974. As a member of the New YorkState Senate, McCall participated innumerous debates over proposals that

youngerpro-choiceadvocatestoday couldnot imagine– and thatall of usmust workhard topreventfromreturning. In 1975,the yearafter McCallwas firstelected tothe NewYork State Senate, both the Assembly

Alan Hevesi, a champion of abortion rights and women’srights, is running for state comp-troller. The position is beingvacated by Carl McCall, who isrunning for governor. As an activeproponent of choice Hevesi has animpressive track record. In 1970 the NYS legislature

legalized abortion. In 1972, legislators, intimidated by Rightto Life threats of retribution, switched sides and voted torepeal the law. Gov. Rockefeller vetoed the repeal. Hevesi,then in his first term in the Assembly and barely into his 30s,took charge of the passionate conflict and has remained inthe forefront of the abortion battles for 30 years. Early on, during a strategy session on defeating theparental consent bill, Hevesi demonstrated his skills andcommitment to the pro-choice community. He led a “headcount,” an assessment of each legislator’s likely vote, tofocus abortion rights advocates in the room on specific

On June 18th WCLAannounced its unanimous

endorsement of NoamBramson in the DemocraticParty primary for AssemblyDistrict 91. Bramson is chal-lenging incumbent Ron Tocci.The winner of the September10th primary will be the party’snominee for the general election on November 5th. “In contrast to his opponent Noam Bramson knows theissues, is strongly pro-choice and intends to be a vocaladvocate for women’s reproductive health and freedom inthe Assembly,” said Catherine Lederer-Plaskett, WCLA boardchair. Bramson, a member of the New Rochelle City Council,was formerly a key aide to Congresswoman Nita Lowey, theleader in the House for choice and a wide range of women’shealth issues. Her office is a superb training ground for a pro-choice leader.

H. Carl McCall

Alan HevesiNoam Bramson

ProChoice, Westchester Coalition for Legal Abortion, Inc. Summer 2002

On thePresidentEmerita’sMind

2

By Polly Rothstein

Westchester Coalition for Legal Abortion, Inc. © 2002237 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, NY 10605

914/946-5363 • www.wcla.orgExecutive Director: Judith A. KaufmanOffice Manager: Fran SnedekerAssistant: Leonore YoungBoard of Directors: Catherine Lederer-Plaskett, Chair; Tamika Coverdale,Robert Fertik, Neil McCarthy, Joseph Melhado, Nancy S. Tunis, DeenaWeintraub, Eve WiddowsEditor: Catherine Lederer-PlaskettEditorial Contributors: Phillip Chonigman, Eric Deutsch, SamanthaKatzman, Judith A. Kaufman, Nancy K. Montagnino, Polly Rothstein, FranSnedeker, Deena Weintraub, Eve WiddowsCirculation: 70,000 Founded in 1972

DividedWe Fall

by Catherine Lederer-PlaskettWCLA Board Chair

Please see Mind on page 12

Today we face what isperhaps the greatest crisis

of our time. Complacency.My generation has relied on our mothers and fathers tocarry the load of social responsibility. Our parents havebeen there to fight for choice, for gun control, andagainst the war in Vietnam. They marched with MartinLuther King Jr.; they worked as escorts at abortionclinics; they registered voters; they marched for gayand lesbian rights, for food for the hungry, and somuch more. And when they stopped protesting, they startedgiving. And they have given big! They have given thedollars that have protected our civil rights and pro-moted our welfare. It is because of your parents and mine that theUnited Negro College Fund, Meals On Wheels, andWestchester Coalition for Legal Abortion exist. I find myself saying the same words to my children,and now to you, that my parents said to me, “How canI make you see?” You must care. No one else is goingto do it for us anymore. Our parents are tired. Organi-zations all around us are closing their doors, not be-cause the fight is won, or even over, but because thereis no more money. If you don’t step up to the platefinancially, the game is over. The bad guys win. In a conversation I had prior to the 2002 elections,an acquaintance said, “Oh, Bush wouldn’t overturnRoe v. Wade. He just talks like that to appease theultra-conservatives.” That acquaintance was so surethat someone else would be there to protect choice; he

During the 30+ years I was in abortion politics, a mythgrew around me that WCLA was my whole life and

consumed me day and night. I remember one time I saidthat I had to leave a meeting because I was going to meetmy husband. “You have a husband?” said one, astonished. I did what it took to get things done my way, includingevenings and weekends, especially newsletter, fund-raising,and lobbying. I didn’t, however, miss out on all the otherthings that make a full and satisfying life. My husbandJesse and I have two superb adult children, Amy andChester. I’m close to my sisters, mother, and cousins. Wehave lots of dear friends, with whom we dined, skied,dined, traveled, dined, went to the ballet, dined, andshared joys and sorrows. In 1969, I was handed a dead bird, a life-alteringexperience. It was a White-breasted Nuthatch (It’s beauti-ful! Mmmm, what else is out there?) It sparked my interestand turned me into an avid birder. What pleasure it’s givenme. I’ve made countless birding trips to find and watchbirds in their habitats of savannas, jungles, mountains,tundra, and swamps and marshes. About five times inrecent years I went with a small group, traveling by LandRover, foot, and motorboat in the dense unexplored forestsof southern Guyana. I was so happy bathing in the river,eating freshly caught fish and animals, and falling asleep inmy hammock listening to night sounds. I enjoy birdinglocally almost as much as in exotic places. I never miss theChristmas and summer bird counts, no matter what theweather. And as true birders do, I often go out alone. When a spinal cord injury cost me my ability to walkunassisted last year, I was relieved to think that if I hadwaited to take birding trips until I was retired and hadtime, I’d have missed out on the grand adventures. But,I’ve done it and I have many albums to bring me backthere. Roughing it in South American forests is in my pastbut birding is still in the present and future, modified. Idrive with hand controls. I bought a minivan, which Ihad equipped with a lift so I could transport my three-wheeled scooter. A few weeks ago, I went birding for

Please see Divided on page 5

ProChoice, Westchester Coalition for Legal Abortion, Inc.Summer 2002

Editorials

A Little Bit Pro-Choice Is Like a Little Bit Pregnant

2002 New York State Primaryand General Elections — Who Cares?

3

State elections are as important if not more so thanfederal elections for protecting choice.

Abortion became legal in New York State in 1970,three years before Roe v. Wade effectively changed thelandscape of choice across the rest of this country. Thesame reality can occur in the reverse. The state is also thelast line of defense. Roe v. Wade can be overturned by aBush Supreme Court but if our state pro-choice commu-nity-and that includes you- continues to stand strong,New York State will continue to serve as a beacon of lightby keeping abortion legal and safe. The offices of governor, comptroller, all state senatorsand assembly representatives are up for election this year.Each office can serve as an effective vehicle for ensuringthat a woman will be able to legally exercise her right tochoose, or it can become a tool in the hands of anti-choice extremists. The governor’s responsibilities include signing orvetoing legislation, making appointments, nominatingjudicial candidates to fill vacancies, and proposing andaccepting/rejecting budgets. Among the statecomptroller’s duties are decisions about where to investmoney and what companies to reward with those invest-ments. State Senators and Assembly representativespropose or oppose bills that, in turn, do or don’t becomelaw; they also accept/reject and negotiate budgets.

All of them — the governor, the comptroller, thesenators and assembly members — can and do affect awoman’s right to choose. For example: Will familyplanning services receive adequate funding? Will hospi-tals receiving public funding be allowed to merge andthen no longer provide reproductive services? Will thesame individuals who took the Right to Life line beappointed as judges where they must enforce clinicaccess laws? Will the bill to distribute emergency contra-ception in the emergency room ever become law? It’s critical to participate in both the primary andgeneral elections. Primary elections are the battlefields of ideas andideology espoused by different forces within a particularparty structure. This is the place that party members —registered Democrats, Republicans, Liberals, Conserva-tives, etc. — get to choose who will represent their partyin the general election, and who will influence the partydirection for years to come. For pro-choice advocates,it’s essential to participate; it’s where we, as individuals,try to influence our party’s selection of candidates. In the greater picture of the general election, pro-choice advocates can carry the day only if our supportersunderstand the importance of New York State elections,no matter how seemingly uninvolved a particular elec-toral office may be. All politics is local. In the face of theBush Administration’s assault on reproductive rights, NewYork State elections become proportionately moreimportant. New York State is where we hold the line; New YorkState is where we live.

Life is full of shades of gray. For example: you canbe not fat but not thin; not tall but not short; not

old but not young. Choice, however, is not like that. Alittle bit pro-choice is like a little bit pregnant. Eitheryou are or you’re not. Either you believe that a womanhas the right to choose, or you don’t. Any qualifiers —such as parental notification, a waiting period, late termabortion or the crossing of state lines — place limits ona woman’s right to control her own body and invitegovernment intervention into the equation. There aremany reasons that these qualifiers are irrational anddestructive (e.g., should a pregnant female be requiredto ask a sexually abusive parent for permission or toescort her across state lines?). But, to refute the manyproposed qualifiers is senseless and plays into the handsof anti-choice activists. Women do not get abortions to fit into prom

dresses. Nor do they consider it equivalent to returninga pair of shoes because they don’t match the dress.They do it because, for whatever personal reason,having a child is not a viable option for them at thatpoint in their lives. Our elected officials must be reminded that qualify-ing a woman’s right to choice is not acceptable. WCLAhas endorsed Noam Bramson in the Democratic Primaryagainst his opponent Ron Tocci who believes that thegovernment should place qualifiers on the right tochoose (page 1); Sue Kelly deceived WCLA and NARALby claiming to be 100% pro-choice and then, onceelected, voting repeatedly for limits to be placed onabortion rights (page 4). Elected officials describethemselves as pro-choice because they know the

Please see Pregnant on page 13

ProChoice, Westchester Coalition for Legal Abortion, Inc. Summer 20024

John Faso, Poster Boy for the RTL PartyJohn Faso (Assembly Rep.102

District) is the Republican candidatefor New York State Comptroller and willface either Alan Hevesi or Bill Mulrowafter the Democratic primary onSeptember 10th. Hevesi and Mulrow arepro-choice. Faso, however, is not! UntilJune 2001, Faso had a perfect votingrecord in the eyes of the NYS Right toLife Party. • He voted to support the so-called“partial birth abortion” ban in 1999. • He voted against Medicaid fund-ing of abortions in 1999, 2000 and2001. • He voted against legal protec-tions for women entering familyplanning clinics in 1999. • He voted against requiring cover-age of contraceptives when insurancepolicies cover prescription drugs in2001. Then, in June 2001, Faso decided to

run for comptroller and, “miraculously,”his voting record changed. Faso votedto support a bill requiring hospitals toprovide emergency contraception in theemergency room to rape survivors and,in 2002, he voted in favor of theWomen’s Health and Wellness bill. Faso’s need to change his stripes is atestament to the strength of the NYpro-choice movement and electorate.He will need the support of the pro-choice community to win. Abortionrights advocates must remember thatFaso is simply “a wolf in sheep’sclothing.”

Sue Kelly: No Friend to Choice Republican Congresswoman SueKelly has betrayed the pro-choicemovement. She solicited the support ofwomen’s reproductive rights advocatesin the 1994 and 1996 elections, andthen turned against the movement. She

got in step with her party’s anti-choiceplatform on a myriad of votes bothprocedural and substantive. A sampling of those votes: • In 1995 she voted to defundUNFPA and to reestablish the globalgag rule. The same year she votedagainst an amendment which wouldhave allowed funds appropriated pursu-ant to a crime bill to be used to protecthealth clinics. • In 1995, 1996 and 2000, shevoted in favor of the so-called “partialbirth abortion” ban. • In 1998, 1999 and 2002 shevoted in favor of the Child CustodyProtection Act. • In 2001 she voted in favor of aban on cloning. Kelly must be held accountable,because as the saying goes, “Fool meonce, shame on you. Fool me twice,shame on me.”

legislators to approach. That strategy session with Hevesi wasthe first of many. Hevesi became even more involved as chair of the HealthCommittee, through which all abortion bills must pass. Heconducted hearings on abortion rights in the late 70’s, andled the charge to preserve Medicaid funding of abortion, abattle so fierce that the state budget was stalled for months.His speeches on the floor of the Assembly in favor of Medic-aid funding (year after year) were compelling, factual, andemotional. For 21 years in the Assembly, Hevesi was the leader oflegislators who sided with the pro-choice movement. Hisadvocacy continued during the years he was NYC comptrol-ler, as he was deeply involved in women’s issues on manylevels in that position. If elected state comptroller, he saysthat he will use the office as a bully pulpit to continue todefend the issues he’s fought for since 1972. In recognition of his past leadership and faith in hispromises for the future, the board of NARAL/NY, by aunanimous vote, endorsed Hevesi in the Democratic primary.Barbara Shack, board chair, said in an email, “Hevesi wasspectacular.....his command of the substance, his commit-ment, and past history and his understanding of how hecould use the pulpit of the office to advance the rights ofwomen was stunning.”

Hevesi from page 1

and Senate passed legislation requiring parental notificationbefore a minor could get an abortion. Despite the Governor’sveto that stopped the legislation from becoming law, theissue did not disappear. The debate over similar legislationcontinued then just as it does today. McCall never hesitatedto speak out against this misguided proposal, and willcontinue to aggressively oppose it in the future. In 1977, as a member of the Senate’s Social ServicesCommittee, McCall fought against two separate attempts todeny coverage for abortion and related services to womenreceiving public assistance or those defined as “needy.” Theharsh and divisive language spoken by those arguing to denycoverage then can still be heard today, just as their intent isreflected in the current governor’s limited family planningbudget allocations and his support for hospital mergers.McCall has repeatedly called for all women, not a selectgroup, to have equal access to all reproductive services. As a pro-choice advocate, McCall has participated incountless rallies and meetings, made numerous speeches andwatched in horror as groups claiming to be “pro-life” [sic]committed frequent senseless acts of violence againstmembers of the choice community. McCall recognizes that the current governor’s efforts torestrict women’s access to abortion and reproductive healthcare services are supported by the extreme anti-choiceagenda of the Bush administration. McCall has promisedthat, if elected governor, he will continue to fight anyattempt to weaken a woman’s right to choose in New Yorkand in Washington.

McCall from page 1

VOTE VOTE VOTE

ProChoice, Westchester Coalition for Legal Abortion, Inc.Summer 2002 5

Come Out, Gov. Pataki Show Us Who You AreGov. George Pataki’s position on abortion rights is what

one might call “fluid.” Prior to his run for the Assemblyin 1984, he claimed he was pro-choice. In his candidateinterview he was anything but and his voting record put himsquarely in the Right to Life column. Seeking his third term as governor, George Pataki againclaims to be pro-choice. Perhaps the reason he makes that assertion is becauseNew York is a pro-choice state, thanks to a very stronggrassroots movement. Many voters, especially women whooutnumber men at the polls, feel so strongly about abortionrights that they will vote only for candidates who agree withthem. As Sen. Chuck Schumer, Attorney General Eliot Spitzer,and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton will attest, pro-choice voterswere a major factor in their elections, the flip side of which istheir role in the defeat of Alfonse D’Amato, Dennis Vacco,and Rick Lazio. New York Times reporter Adam Nagourney interviewedPataki in April and said that Pataki went out of his way toraise the issue of abortion, volunteering, “I disagree withmany in my party in supporting abortion rights. They wouldsay government should make the decision about whether ornot a woman can have an abortion. How is that consistentwith the belief in the individual and limited government?” Unfortunately, Pataki’s words have not been reflected inhis actions.

As an anti-choice legislator During the decade that Gov. Pataki was a state legislator,first in the Assembly and then the Senate, he voted againstabortion rights every time. In 1990 he described himself aspro-choice although his record made a mockery of thestatement, In 1984, ‘86, and ‘88, NYS and Westchester Right to Lifeendorsed Pataki based on: • his voting record to eliminate Medicaid funding even forrape and incest, • support for a “Human Life Amendment” to the Consti-tution, • support for mandatory parental involvement for minors. In its 1992 voter guide, Westchester RTL explained thatthough Pataki claimed to be pro-choice, “he has a pro-life[sic] voting record” and even as he campaigned as pro-choice, he sought its help “behind the scenes.” Also in 1993, Pataki earned a 100 percent rating from theNYS Christian Coalition and New Yorkers for ConstitutionalFreedom, the leading religious right groups in the state.

Anti-choice actions as governor In Pataki’s eight years as governor, not one anti-abortionbill landed on his desk, sparing him from signing or vetoing.He ought to thank the Assembly and Speaker Sheldon Silver,which made one-house bills of the Senate’s attempts to limitabortion rights.

However, he has: • named Dr. Antonia Novello, an abortion opponent, tobe health commissioner. • permitted the diocese-run Medicaid-only HMO FidelisHealth Care to buy another Medicaid-only HMO and absorbits 20,000 low-income clients. Roman Catholic Fidelis doesnot offer family planning, sterilization, or abortion. • named Rev. John Bonnici to be a trustee of the CityUniversity of New York (April 2002). Rev. Bonnici, director ofthe NY Archdiocese Family Life/Respect Life Office, isdedicated to opposing abortion, contraception, and gayrights. Pataki has stated that he would: • permit mergers of Roman Catholic and nonsectarianhospitals where Catholic doctrine would prevail and eliminatereproductive healthcare. • sign a ban on “partial-birth abortions.” • sign a parental consent or notification bill. Pataki’s positive actions: • signed the clinic access bill in 2000, which increasespenalties for illegally interfering with reproductive healthservices. This law protects clinic staff and patients fromviolent protesters, but it does not help women get abortions. • permitted Medicaid waivers for contraceptive servicesfor women whose income is at or below 200 percent ofpoverty. • signed the long sought Women’s Health and Wellnessbill. For example, the law requires employers to offer insur-ance coverage for prescription contraceptives, infertilitytreatments, screening for cancers of the reproductive system,and mammograms for women over 40.

Show Us ‘The Choice’ Pataki now talks the talk. If he wants to be a credible pro-choice candidate in Election 2002, he must walk the walk.This means renounce his anti-abortion votes and statementsand state clearly what he will do when an anti-abortion billlands on his desk for his signature.

Divided from page 2

did not need to concern himself. And, of course, since thenhave come the international gag order, the freeze on U.N.funding, the abstinence-only programs, the fetal homicidebill, the anti-stem cell research platform….. Every Friday I take food and, sometimes, clothing to ahomeless shelter. I do not do it because I believe I will single-handedly defeat hunger. I do it because I can and because,maybe, I will help someone a little. With deep commitmentto the belief that lots of drops in a bucket eventually fill it, Ichallenge you to take out your checkbooks and write a checkto WCLA, because you can. If you have written one in thepast, make this one bigger. Our parents did not just “talk the talk”; they have“walked the walk.” The only thing that they did not do wasdemand that we follow. Well, the free ride is over.

ProChoice, Westchester Coalition for Legal Abortion, Inc. Summer 20026

Assaults on Choice

WCLA Salutes theDobbs Ferry ClinicAfter more than 30 years of providing legal and safe

abortions, the Dobbs Ferry Clinic closed its doors in May.From its beginning in 1971, the Dobbs Ferry Clinic stood bywomen, respecting their privacy and their right to choose, aright that the U.S. Supreme Court came to recognize asprotected by the Constitution of the United States in 1973.The Clinic was a united front made up of doctors, staff,escorts, and pro-choice demonstrators, all of whom put theirpolitics on the line and together kept this facility viable. Theybrought the issue home to Westchester, making each of usevaluate our own commitment to choice. WCLA offers aspecial note of thanks to the many members of N.O.W. whoworked as escorts.

Photo by D. W

eintraub ©1992

Protect yourright to choose!

Underscoring the power of the states to support orundermine a woman’s right to choose, three states are

making headlines by attempting to elevate a fetus to a statusequal to that of a woman. To do so, each state must redefinethe “beginning of life.” The outcome is a proliferation oflegislation and court cases relating to “protection of theunborn.” The New York Times and Washington Post editorial boardshave described these state actions as a means to chip away atabortion rights. New York State is far from immune to theseextremist pressures.

Utah Legislature The homicide trial of Roger MacGuire has triggered justsuch action. As ProChoice reported, MacGuire, who is facingmurder charges resulting from the death of his ex-wife whowas about three months pregnant, is also being charged withthe death of the fetus under a provision in Utah law definingmurder as causing “the death of another person, including anunborn child.” His attorneys argued that the fetal murder charge violatesRoe v. Wade. The legislature thus became aware that theCourts would have to interpret legislative intent. To resolvefuture ambiguities, they unanimously passed a bill that onestate representative said makes it possible to prosecute some-one for homicide “even if a woman has been pregnant for 30minutes.” The Utah statute was amended to include thephrase “at any stage of its development” in its definition ofunborn child. The new legislation was signed by the governorand went into effect immediately.

New Jersey Courts A New Jersey attorney seeks to establish legal precedent bycontending that a woman should be able to sue her physician forthe “wrongful death of a fetus” after voluntarily having anabortion. The anti-choice attorney who wishes to sue on behalf ofthe “unborn” contends doctors should be subject to legal action ifthey do not explain to their patients that abortion “involves thetermination of life — of a living human being” [sic].

New York State Senate In May 2002, the NYS Senate passed a bill that wouldamend the penal law to define a fetus as a person in assaultand homicide cases. Although the Republican majorityclaimed the legislation was a victims’ rights measure, theyrejected a Democratic amendment to increase penalties forattacks on pregnant women. The New York Times reports the bill is not likely to comeup for a vote in the Assembly “because abortion rightsadvocates charge that it is a back-door attack on a woman’sright to an abortion.” While the measure passed the Senate on virtually a partyline vote, Westchester’s Nick Spano joined with SenatorsRuth Hassell-Thompson and Suzi Oppenheimer in voting“nay” (pro-choice).

ProChoice, Westchester Coalition for Legal Abortion, Inc.Summer 2002 7

Death Sentence for Third World WomenIn early July, President Bush moved closer to eliminating

funds allocated to UNFPA (United Nations PopulationFund). In January, he had authorized the appropriation of$34 million to UNFPA. However, Bush now claims thatcoercive programs allegedly supported by the agency inChina are unacceptable and justify the cutting of US fundingof UNFPA. The Bush administration wants the public to perceive thecuts as a stand against forced abortions and involuntarysterilizations by the Chinese government. In truth that cannotbe the reason because, as stated in The New York Timesarticle “Devastated Women” (April 26, 2002), UNFPA doesnot — in China or elsewhere — use these funds for abortionsor involuntary sterilizations. Women around the world relyupon these funds to survive. These monies provide the onlyaccess to reproductive health care – including family plan-ning, testing for HIV/AIDS, medical intervention in problempregnancies resulting from female genital mutilation, andcare for women afflicted with obstetric fistula. The U.S. Committee for U.N. Population Fund explainsthat withholding the U.S. contribution “will undermine theUN Population Fund’s ability to prevent 2 million pregnan-cies, 800,000 induced abortions, 4,700 maternal deaths and77,000 infant and child deaths.” By withholding funds in an attempt to force its ownagenda, including abstinence-only programs (even formarried women), on the world at large, the Bush administra-tion is sentencing Third World women to death. In search of justification for his agenda, Bush sent a

three-person investigatory team to China, none of whom wasa recognized expert in Chinese culture and/or language noran expert in family planning. Although this team returnedfrom its mission in early June, no report of its findings wasreleased prior to Bush’s directive to the State Department towithhold the funds from UNFPA. Following the issuance of the directive, the White HouseDomestic Policy Council released a preliminary report admit-ting that “the U.N. agency had no direct knowledge orinvolvement in China’s coercive policies but that thesepractices [abortions and involuntary sterilizations] did go onin some of the Chinese counties where the agency operated.” The freezing of the funds has raised the ire of congres-sional members on both sides of the aisle. Lawmakers saidthe administration’s action did not reflect the intent ofCongress. Four members of the House of Representatives,including Nita Lowey, wrote urging Bush to release the StateDepartment report, “We are confident that this team, likeover 60 diplomatic observers who have already visited theprogram, will affirm that the U.N. Population Fund is promot-ing human rights and volunteerism and pushing the Chinesegovernment to respect the fundamental rights of theircitizens.” Religious leaders also criticized Bush’s failure to fundUNFPA. The International Committee of Religious Leadersfor Voluntary Family Planning, with members from 31countries, sent a letter to the White House requesting therelease of the funds.

Tocci pleases, then disappoints. By contrast, Tocci tends to favor government restrictions. In1996, 1997, and 1999, Tocci (who runs on the ConservativeParty line and this year will also run on the Republican line)voted to ban so-called “partial-birth abortion.” He was theonly Westchester member to do so. Although Tocci likes toclaim that the bill targeted only abortions late in pregnancy,the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Nebraska’s identical law.Justice Stephens wrote that the law is “deceptively crafted,affected abortions throughout pregnancy, and was not limitedto the post-viability procedure graphically described bysupporters.” Tocci is also the only Westchester Assembly member,regardless of party affiliation, who has failed to sign on as asponsor of The Unintended Pregnancy Prevention Act,introduced by Amy Paulin (AD88), to make emergencycontraception available without a prescription in New York. Showing his true inclination, Tocci introduced a bill (A6768)which would allow wrongful death actions to be brought onbehalf of a fetus in utero. The bill would give a family standingto sue for wrongful death upon “fertilization”; thereby, ineffect, defining an embryo as a person from fertilization tobirth. Lederer-Plaskett said, “This is a transparent step towardgiving embryos and fetuses the status of persons.” But the

Bramson from page 1

NYS Pro-Life [sic] News said that Tocci “deserved accolades,because the Democratic Party in the northeast makes it veryuncomfortable for its members to stand up for life.” To his credit, Tocci has kept his promise to vote to maintainthe state’s funding of abortions for low-income women underthe Medicaid program.

Why Bramson? Why now? Roe v. Wade is hanging by a thread in Washington. Theexpected anti-choice appointments to the Supreme Courtfrom the Republican White House could very well furtherweaken Roe and place a woman’s right to choose back in thehands of state legislatures. It is essential that candidates forstate offices are strongly committed to choice. “Noam getsit,” said Lederer-Plaskett. “He understands that being pro-choice means trusting women and their doctors to make theright decisions. Ron Tocci doesn’t.” “The Bramson-Tocci primary is the race to watch,” saidLederer-Plaskett. “Noam Bramson is the only reliable pro-choice candidate in this race. Pro-choice voters can deter-mine the outcome of this critical primary.” (Assembly District 91 now includes the Town ofMamaroneck, all of Rye and the southern part of the City ofNew Rochelle.)

ProChoice, Westchester Coalition for Legal Abortion, Inc. Summer 2002

Once again the New York State Legislature has fought acontentious battle over an important new law that will

greatly impact the direction of the state for many years tocome. Although replete with last minute deals and secre-tive backroom negotiations, it was quite different from thebudget battles on other significant pieces of legislation inthat this directly impacts each and every incumbent legisla-tor. It’s called reapportionment and redistricting, and it’swhat determines the boundary lines of the districts that ourrepresentatives represent. The State Senate lines and the Assembly lines have beencompleted. The maps and comments included here will notaddress the new Congressional districts other than to saythat the changes in them are likely to put manyWestchester residents with a new representative. More onthat in a future newsletter. It’s also important to note that those districts with thegreatest changes to their boundary lines are the ones mostlikely to have hotly contested races this year. Be aware that many districts were renumbered. There-fore, I have indicated the old number – based on theincumbent in that district – in parentheses after the newdistrict number. For example, “District 87 (84)” means thenew district used to be known as 84, since 84’s incumbentnow resides in the new 87. (If that’s too confusing, down-load both old and new maps from the NYS Legislative TaskForce on Demographic Research and Reapportionment(LATFOR) website at http://www.latfor.state.ny.us/ andzoom in to whatever level you need.) Let’s start with a look at the State Assembly, beginningat the south end of Westchester County: • District 87 (84) now consists of the entire City ofMount Vernon, picking up the northeast corner of the city,along with a narrow corridor across the south end ofYonkers (along the Bronx border) to the west side of thecity up to Ashburton Avenue, thereby losing the sectionnorth of Ashburton that it previously had. The incumbentAssembly member in this district is J. Gary Pretlow. • District 88 (88) may retain its old number, but stillsees some significant changes. Whereas Pelham,Eastchester and Scarsdale all remain wholly within thedistrict, it loses any presence in Mount Vernon, nearly allexcept the west side in the City of White Plains – essentiallykeeping just the downtown area and the Battle Hill neigh-borhood – and does a near total flip in New Rochelle,where it picks up the entire north end, while dropping afew election districts in the southwest and downtownareas. The incumbent Assembly member in this district isAmy Paulin. • District 89 (89) is another district that has changed abit despite keeping its old number. Staying in the districtare Bedford, Harrison, Lewisboro, Mount Kisco, NewCastle, North Castle, Pound Ridge and the north end of

WhitePlains.Joining thedistrict ismost ofthe rest ofWhitePlains,exceptfor thatportionremain-ing in District 88(see above); while Somersand North Salem have been dropped from the district. Theincumbent Assembly member is Naomi Matusow. • District 90 (90) gets a fairly big makeover in that itsheds all of Yorktown, instead crossing into Putnam Countyto pick up the three Towns of Kent, Philipstown andPutnam Valley. The district retains the complete Towns ofCortlandt and Ossining as well as the City of Peekskill. Theincumbent Assembly member is Sandra Galef. • District 91 (85) looks to be the same on paper – thecomplete Towns of Mamaroneck and Rye, plus the City ofRye and part of the City of New Rochelle – but the maptells a different story. Nearly all of the north end of NewRochelle is exchanged with District 88 (see above) for moreof the south and central downtown areas of the city. Theincumbent Assembly member is Ron Tocci. (Tocci is beingchallenged in the September primary by the WCLA-endorsed candidate, pro-choice NOAM BRAMSON.) • District 92 (86) has changed minimally. It still consistsmainly of the complete Towns of Greenburgh and MountPleasant, but adds a small area of a couple of electiondistricts from the northern Saw Mill / Executive Boulevardarea of the City of Yonkers. The incumbent Assemblymember is Richard Brodsky. • District 93 (87) vies with District 92 for the title ofleast changed. Although still falling fully within the bordersof the City of Yonkers, it lost some territory to 92 (seeabove) while picking up some western sections of the city,north of Ashburton Avenue, from District 87 (see above).

Meet Your New DistrictBy Phillip Chonigman

Partner—GeoPolitical Strategies

AssemblyDistricts

8

ProChoice, Westchester Coalition for Legal Abortion, Inc.Summer 2002

Theincumbent

Assembly memberis Michael Spano. • District 99 (91) is

new to WestchesterCounty, previously

occupying all sixTowns in

Putnam alongwith sixeastern

towns inDutchess. Its

new incarnation isvastly different, retain-

ing only the DutchessTown of Pawling and the Putnam Towns of Carmel,Patterson and Southeast, while adding Yorktown (fromDistrict 90), North Salem and Somers (both from District89). This new configuration has nearly half of its residentsnow from Westchester County. The incumbent Assemblymember is Willis Stephens Jr. Now let’s turn to the creative State Senate lines: • District 34 (34), which is 70% in the Bronx and 30%in Westchester, has one of the more unusual shapes to befound in the state’s redistricting plan. Looking somethinglike a giant lobster, it has added the Town of Eastchester toits cadre of mostly non-minority areas from Mount Vernon,

Anti-Choicers Have to PayPlanned Parenthood Federation of

America was awarded $77,835 inlegal fees incurred in unsuccessfullitigation brought against the organiza-tion by an anti-choice legal group.Thomas More Law Center, located inAnn Arbor, Michigan, had filed alawsuit against Planned Parenthoodalleging a possible connection betweenabortion and breast cancer, and accus-ing Planned Parenthood of not inform-ing abortion patients of this “risk.”Superior Court Judge Ronald Prager

dismissed the case last March on thegrounds that the lawsuit sought tointerfere with Planned Parenthood ofSan Diego and Riverside Counties’ rightto free speech. The issue of abortions providing agreater risk of breast cancer has beenhotly debated in 18 states, according tothe National Abortion and ReproductiveRights Action League. Scientific re-search by the National Cancer Institute,the American Cancer Society, and theNational Breast Cancer Coalition,

however, has demonstrated that thereis no linkage between abortions and ahigher risk of breast cancer. Despitethat fact, Kansas, Louisiana, andMississippi require that information begiven to women about abortion andthe risk of breast cancer.

New Rochelle, Pelham, Yonkers and the Bronx; basicallycircumnavigating the predominantly African Americanneighborhoods in Mount Vernon and the north Bronx. Theincumbent Senate member is Guy Velella. • District 35 (35) remains with the entire Town ofGreenburgh and all but the southeast corner of the City ofYonkers (to allow a corridor for district 34), loses the Townof Eastchester, and instead moves north to pick up theTown of Mount Pleasant. The incumbent Senate memberis Nick Spano. • District 36 (33) is largely unchanged, consistingmostly of the African American sections of the north Bronxand of the City of Mount Vernon. The Westchester portionmakes up less the 15% of the district. After taking in Co-op City, Baychester, Wakefield and Williamsbridge, theBronx portion then follows a narrow corridor that goesalong the width of the Bronx River Parkway from theBotanical Gardens to the Cross Bronx in order to pick upadditional minorities in the Bathgate, Claremont Village andConcourse sections, coming within blocks of YankeeStadium. The incumbent Senate member is Ruth Hassell-Thompson. • District 37 (36) had only a minor change, replacingthe Town of Mount Pleasant with the Town of New Castle.All other municipalities, including Harrison, Mamaroneck,North Castle, Ossining, Rye City, Rye Town, Scarsdale,White Plains and most of New Rochelle, remain in thedistrict. The incumbent Senate member is SuziOppenheimer. • District 40 (37) has seen little change other than to itsnumber and from the loss of the Town of New Castle inWestchester and the gain of the Town of Milan inDutchess. All else remains the same including: the sixHarlem Valley towns of eastern Dutchess; the entire countyof Putnam; and Bedford, Cortlandt, Lewisboro, MountKisco, North Salem, Peekskill, Pound Ridge, Somers andYorktown in northern Westchester. The incumbent Senatemember is Vincent Leibell. If after reviewing this list you’re still unsure whosedistrict you fall into, contact your local municipal clerk’soffice, the County Board of Elections, or, if you’re a goodmap reader, the LATFOR website noted earlier.

Senate Districts

9

Registerto vote!

ProChoice, Westchester Coalition for Legal Abortion, Inc. Summer 2002

ACTION

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ACTION

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Your Elected Officials: Keep For Future Reference

The New York Times229 West 43rd StreetNew York, NY 10036Fax: 212/556-3622

e-mail: letters@nytimes.com

The Journal News1 Gannett Drive

White Plains, NY 10604Fax: 696-8396

e-mail: letters@westches.gannett.com

Weekly papers:Check the mastheadsfor addresses and fax

numbers.

To writeletters tothe editor

This list keeps improving because YOU elect pro-choice candidates.

10 Westchester

These elected officials represent you.Contact them and let them know how

YOU want them to vote.

Key+ Pro-choice- Anti-choice+/- Mixed, qualifiedD DemocratR RepublicanC Conservative

I IndependenceL LiberalRTL Right to LifeW Working◊ Has run on RTL

U.S. PresidentPresident George W. Bush [-] R1600 Pennsylvania Ave.Washington, D.C. 20500Opinion phone: 202/456-1111Fax 202/456-2461E-mail: president@whitehouse.gov

U.S. SenateHon. ________U.S. SenateWashington, D.C. 20510Switchboard: 202/224-3121

Hon. Hillary Rodham Clinton [+] D,L,W 202/224-4451 Senator@clinton.senate.govHon. Charles E. Schumer [+] D,L,I 212/486-4430; 202/224-6542 Senator@schumer.senate.gov

U.S. House ofRepresentatives

Hon. ________U.S. House of RepresentativesWashington, D.C. 20515Switchboard: 202/224-3121

CD 17 Eliot Engel [+] D,L 718/796-9700; 202/225-2464 www.house.gov/writerepCD 18 Nita Lowey [+] D 914/428-1707; 202/225-6506 nita.lowey@mail.house.govCD 19 Sue Kelly [+/-] R,C 914/241-6340; 202/225-5441 dearsue@mail.house.govCD 20 Benjamin Gilman [+] R 845/343-6666; 202/225-3776 www.house.gov/gilman

GovernorHon. George Pataki [-] R,CExecutive ChamberState CapitalAlbany, New York 12224Phone: 518/474-8390gov.pataki@chamber.state.ny.us

NYS SenateHon. ________New York State SenateAlbany, New York 12247Switchboard: 518/455-2800

SD 33 Ruth Hassell-Thompson [+] D 518/455-2061 hassellt@senate.state.ny.usSD 34 Guy Velella [-] R,C, I ◊ 718/792-7180; 518/455-3264 velella@senate.state.ny.usSD 35 Nicholas Spano [+] R,C, I ◊ 914/969-5194; 518/455-2231 spano@senate.state.ny.usSD 36 Suzi Oppenheimer [+] D 914/934-5250; 518/455-2031 oppenhei@senate.state.ny.usSD 37 Vincent Leibell [-] R,C, 845/279-3773; 518/455-3111 leibell@senate.state.ny.us

Majority Leader Joseph Bruno [-] R,C, I518/455-3191bruno@senate.state.ny.usHealth Committee Chair

Kemp Hannon [-] R,C, I518/455-2200hannon@senate.state.ny.us

NYS AssemblyHon. ________New York State AssemblyAlbany, New York 12248Switchboard 518/455-4100AD 84 Gary Pretlow [+] D, I 914/667-0127; 518/455-5291 pretloj@assembly.state.ny.usAD 85 Ronald Tocci D, C [+/-] 914/235-7900; 518/455-4897 toccir@assembly.state.ny.usAD 86 Richard Brodsky [+] D 914/345-0432; 518/455-5753 brodskr@assembly.state.ny.usAD 87 Michael Spano [+] R,C, I 914/779-8805; 518/455-3662 spanom@assembly.state.ny.usAD 88 Amy Paulin [+] D,W 914/723-1115; 518/455-5585 paulina@assembly.state.ny.us

AD 89 Naomi Matusow [+] D, I 914/241-2649; 518/455-5397 matusow@assembly.state.ny.usAD 90 Sandra Galef [+] D, I 914/941-1111; 518/455-5348 galefs@assembly.state.ny.us

Speaker: Sheldon Silver [+] D, L212/312-1420; 518/455-3791speaker@assembly.state.ny.usHealth Committee Chair

Richard Gottfried [+] D, L, W518/455-4941gottfrr@assembly.state.ny.us

County ExecutiveAndrew Spano [+] D, I, C, L, WMichaelian Office BuildingWhite Plains, New York 10601Phone: 995-2900ceo@westchestergov.com

Westchester Board of LegislatorsHon. ________Michaelian Office BuildingWhite Plains, New York 10601Switchboard 995-2800CBL 1 George Oros [-] R,C ◊CBL 2 Ursula LaMotte [+] R,C, ICBL 3 Suzanne Swanson [+] R,CCBL 4 Michael Kaplowitz [+] D, I, WCBL 5 William Ryan [+] D, I, WCBL 6 Martin Rogowsky [+] D,I,WCBL 7 George Latimer [+] D, WCBL 8 Lois Bronz [+] D, WCBL 9 Richard Wishnie [+] D, I, WCBL 10 Vito Pinto [+] D, WCBL 11 Jim Maisano [+] R, I, C, WCBL 12 Thomas Abinanti [+] D, WCBL 13 Clinton Young, Jr. [+] DCBL 14 Bernice Spreckman [+] R,C,I, WCBL 15 Louis Mosiello [+] R,C,I,WCBL 16 Andrea Stewart-Cousins [+] D,WCBL 17 Jose Alvardado [-] D, W

ProChoice, Westchester Coalition for Legal Abortion, Inc.Summer 2002

Finally, Women’s Health Is Law

11

It has finally happened. On June 17, 2002, after four yearsof political wrangling, both houses of the NYS Legislature

passed the comprehensive women’s health bill. GovernorPataki, prior to the passage, promised to sign the legislation.Women’s Health and Wellness (WH&W) will become the lawon January 1, 2003. The inclusion of contraceptive coverage had made the billone of the most hotly contested. Finally, on February 5, thestate Senate approved a version of the bill which containedonly a narrow opt out clause, a radical departure from itsprevious version of the bill. The Assembly, which never hadincluded a loophole in its version, compromised in April,accepting the Senate exemption. Now, only religiousorganizations with faith-based objections, which primarilyemploy and serve members of that faith, can be exempted.All others must provide birth control in their prescription drugplans. That provision was modeled after California’s WH&W.The narrow California opt out has been interpreted to require

even organizations such as Catholic Charities to include birthcontrol in their prescription drug package. According toCatholic Conference members, the bishops are considering alawsuit to block enforcement. However, as reported ontimesunion.com, a similar suit in California failed. The other major obstacle to be overcome had been theissue of co-payments and deductibles. To ensure passage NYAssembly Democrats agreed to co-payments and deductiblesfor cancer screenings. With compromises reached on allmajor points, the Assembly approved the bill 138 to 10.Passage in the Senate was by 49 to 10. “Today’s passage of the landmark Women’s Health andWellness Act is the culmination of years of work by women’shealth advocates all over New York State,” said JoAnn Smith,President and CEO of Family Planning Advocates. “Thislegislation is a recognition of women’s rights and it is goodpublic health policy for the state, as well.”

How can Gov. Pataki claim to bepro-choice and still have nomi-

nated anti-choice activist Rev. JohnBonnici to the City University of NewYork (CUNY) Board of Trustees?Bonnici’s only credential for the jobseems to be as a vocal opponent ofabortion, contraception and gay rights.He has no prior experience with highereducation. Since 1996 Bonnici has headed theArchdiocese of New York’s Family Life/Respect Life Office. According toAnthony DeStefano, Executive Director

Anti-Choice Bonnici Appointed to CUNY Boardof Priests for Life, Bonnici’s office is“one of the largest, busiest, and mostsuccessful diocesan pro-life [sic] officesin the world.” Pro-choice organizations, includingWCLA and NARAL, opposed hisnomination fearing that Bonnici wouldwork to discontinue access to contra-ceptive services, including emergencycontraception, at CUNY health centers.During the hearings Westchester’sSenator Suzi Oppenheimer gave voiceto these important issues. Giving further credence to these

concerns, Bonnici said, during hishearing before the Senate FinanceCommittee, that providing comprehen-sive health services is not part ofCUNY’s mission, and women in need ofreproductive health care can get theseservices elsewhere. Professional Staff Congress (PSC),the union that represents faculty andprofessional staff at CUNY, adamantlyopposed the appointment of Bonnici. Ina press release PSC stated that theyhave long held that appointees need tohave an established track record inpublic higher education. PSC PresidentBarbara Bowen explained: “It does notserve CUNY well to appoint a trusteewith no history in higher education.Father Bonnici’s history of advocacyagainst women’s reproductive rightsand gay rights makes his appointmentinappropriate as a trustee of this diverseinstitution.” PSC asserts, further, thattrustees need to be selected on thebasis of their professional qualificationsnot their political allegiance. Unfortunately, the New York StateSenate Committee on Higher Educationvoted affirmatively on the appointmentand Bonnici was confirmed by a voicevote by the full Senate. There was norecord of how individual Senators votedbut it appeared to have been on astraight party line vote.Reprinted with permission—Jimmy Margulies

ProChoice, Westchester Coalition for Legal Abortion, Inc. Summer 2002

This Act Doesn’t Protect Children

12

by Rep. Benjamin A. Gilman

Through-out

my tenurein Con-gress, Ihaveconsis-tentlysupporteda woman’sright tochooseand I havefought in

opposition to legislation that wouldinfringe upon that right, includinglegislation concerning parental notifica-tion laws and the banning of specificabortion procedures. The House of Representativesrecently considered H.R. 476, the ChildCustody Protection Act, which wouldprohibit any individual other than aparent, from transporting a womanunder 18 years of age over state lines inorder to obtain an abortion. I could notsupport that legislation. However,many of my colleagues disagreed withme and regrettably the bill passed by avote of 260-161.

Parental involvement is ideal, andyoung women who have loving andunderstanding parents that they cantalk to are quite fortunate, but not allteenagers are that fortunate. Thoseteenagers who feel that they cannotinvolve their parents are left with noone else to turn to, and thus are forcedto make this difficult decision alone, forfear of putting a family member ortrusted adult in danger of committing aFederal crime. We owe these youngwomen the chance to involve someonethey trust in making such an importantdecision. If they cannot go to a parent,and instead enlist the help of a step-parent, grandparent, or sibling inobtaining an abortion over state lines,the family member would be commit-ting a Federal offense. This is uncon-scionable. Those who support this bill claimthat it will strengthen the lines ofcommunication between young womenand their parents, when in reality theopposite will result. A young womanmay be forced to cross state lines alone,putting herself in a dangerous situation,and may even turn to an illegal backalley abortion, putting her life atunnecessary risk. This legislation is

dangerous in every aspect. In addition to preserving the prin-ciples of Roe v. Wade, we need tocontinue to educate our nation’schildren about safe sex, encouragethem to practice abstinence and helpthem mature into responsible youngadults, thus making abortion anunnecessary procedure. This would befar better than passing legislation whichholds concerned family members andtrusted adults criminally responsible forhelping these young women make avery difficult decision. When a woman is confronted withan unexpected pregnancy, Congressand the Federal Government have norole in the decision-making process.Abortion is a very serious and personalissue and prior to viability, should be adecision made by the prospectivemother, her family, religious counselor,and her doctor. By pursuing restrictive legislation,we are destroying the balance betweena woman’s right to choose and theState’s interest in protecting potentiallife after viability. Many of my col-leagues in Congress support a woman’sright to choose and as a Republicanpro-choice member, I will continue tofight with them on behalf of all women.

two weeks with a friend who gave me all the help I needed. Wewent all the way down to Delmarva and up to Boston, revelingin spring migration, which I completely missed last year. Adjusting to my new life as a physically disabled person is acomplex process. Birding helps, in that I still can do somethingthat has been such a big part of my life, such a delight, such apleasure, albeit in a limited fashion. When I was at WCLA, I washappiest when I had a birding jaunt on my calendar, assuring methat there was a bright spot ahead that would take me awayfrom the political horrors in Albany and Washington. Birding is my hobby. The most sustaining element of emo-tional recovery from a trauma like mine is friends, of which Ihave many, apart from my family and our friends. They are frommy subcultures: WCLA and the wider abortion rights family, theWestchester Civil Liberties Union, the environmentalists, and thebirders. Without these steadfast friends bolstering me up, caringabout me, being with me, I don’t know if I could hold up. Something else could help me and others like me: a stem celltransplant. It’ll take many more years of research and is a longway off, to be sure, and probably too late for me, but it’s theonly hope for millions of people.

Mind from page 2

I am incensedwith the politicians,religions, andpseudo-moraliststhat are revved upto a fever pitchover embryos.How dare theystand in the way ofthe research thatcould cure so manyillnesses andinjuries. These moral absolutists have turned their backs on allthe people who could lead a healthy life from the stem cellscreated in the process known as “therapeutic cloning.” It’s up tothe grassroots activists and the voters to change the politicalclimate so that research money flows and scientists have thewherewithal to go to their labs and do the extensive testing thatwill be required. We built a grassroots base on abortion rights;we can do it with medical research that will benefit humanity.

Photo by Robert A

. Behrstock

ProChoice, Westchester Coalition for Legal Abortion, Inc.Summer 2002

The Lowey-Hyde Bill

13

Rep. Nita M. Lowey

By Nita M. Lowey

In early March, the Administrationtook one more misguided step on the

issue ofawoman’sright tochoose.TheDepart-ment ofHealthandHumanServices(HHS)pub-lished apro-posedrule

extending coverage under the StateChildren’s Health Insurance Program(SCHIP) to “unborn children” —embryos and fetuses. While theAdministration claims that it is trying toimprove the health of financiallydisadvantaged women and providethem with better access to prenatalcare, this is just another charade in thegame to make abortion illegal. Under the rule, the pregnant womanherself would not be eligible for healthcare services and is not considered thepatient. Why did the Administrationadorn “unborn children” with thisbenefit rather than directly providing itto pregnant women? They did itbecause a long-sought goal of the anti-choice movement is to grant fetuses thesame legal standing as a person. Not only has the Administration’sproposed SCHIP rule wrongly involvedthe issue of reproductive rights, but itwould leave glaring holes in health carecoverage and could potentially endan-ger the health of pregnant women. As Itold the HHS Secretary, Tommy Thomp-son, the Administration’s approach justdoes not make sense. There arecircumstances when the woman’s healthcould be at issue, but because thathealth problem may not immediatelyaffect the fetus, the woman would notbe eligible for care. This rule will force

physicians to pick and choose betweenwhat affects the fetus and what affectsthe woman. Clearly, a woman’s overallhealth is vitally important to the healthof her baby. For years, I have been working in abipartisan way to pass the Mothers andNewborns Health Insurance Act, whichwould give states the option of coveringlow-income pregnant women in SCHIP.My legislation was endorsed by Secre-tary Thompson and is sponsored bySenator Bond and Rep. Hyde — vocalanti-choice members of Congress. It is astraightforward way to ensure thatwomen receive the care they need for ahealthy pregnancy. Nearly one in five women of child-bearing age were uninsured in 1999,and more than half had family incomesbelow 200% of poverty. These numbersare likely to increase due to the eco-nomic downturn. Women who lackinsurance are less likely to receiveadequate prenatal care. The relatedproblems of low birth weight and pre-term births are among the three mostexpensive reasons for a hospital stay inthe United States. The good news is access to prenatalcare can prevent these problems —infants born to mothers receiving late orno prenatal care are twice as likely to below birth weight than those born tomothers who received prenatal care.The Administration should not respondto the need to provide more womenwith access to prenatal care and medicalbenefits by enacting divisive andpotentially flawed SCHIP policy. Although the public comment periodon the draft regulations closed in earlyMay, the Administration has not issuedfinal regulations and has indicated that itwould support the enactment oflegislation addressing the issue if passedby Congress. The time to act is now.We must work together to let Congressknow that the Lowey-Hyde bill is theappropriate solution, and must bepassed in the coming weeks. My billwould allow approximately 41,000additional women to be covered forprenatal care and ensure that childrenreceive the care they need to be healthy.

Abortion politics has become apowder keg in the debate over

the bankruptcy reform bill. Thanks toNY Senator Charles Schumer, anamendment included in the Senateversion prevents anti-choice activistsfrom declaring bankruptcy to avoidpayment of civil and criminal damagesresulting from the Freedom of Accessto Clinic Entrances Act (FACE).Schumer’s amendment only affectsviolent offenders of FACE, not peopleprotesting in a legal manner. The anti-choice House bill does not contain thatprovision. Because the bill would be a majorplus for credit card companies, bigbusiness interests want Schumer todrop the amendment. To that end, andwith total disregard for women’s healthand welfare, credit card companies andother big business interests havelaunched an aggressive radio campaign,in New York, discrediting Schumer’samendment. The following companies andorganizations are behind the effort tointimidate Senator Schumer: AmericanBankers Association, American FinancialServices, America’s CommunityBankers, Consumer Bankers Associa-tion, Credit Union National Association,DaimlerChrysler, Ford Motor Company,General Motors, Independent Commu-nity Bankers of America, MasterCardInternational, National Retail Federa-tion, and Visa USA. Is a boycott inorder?

Putting MoneyAhead of Safety

majority of the electorate favors awoman’s right to choose. However,some officials renege on their commit-ment to reproductive rights, hoping thatthe public will listen to what they sayrather than watch what they do. Choice is not a single vote. It is aphilosophy that must be applied by ourlegislators whenever they cast a vote.Choice must be considered whether thevote is for an appointment to the CUNYBoard, a judicial nomination, budgetallocations to family planning, UNFPA, oron legislation entitled “Unborn Victims.”

Pregnant from page 3

ProChoice, Westchester Coalition for Legal Abortion, Inc. Summer 2002

Stem Cell Therapy: Pro and Con

14

By Polly Rothstein

Everyone, with no exceptions, is atrisk of the diseases that terrify us

most. At this time, the road to a cure orpreventive measures for many diseasesis stem cell therapy, which uses stemcells instead of drugs. Scientists believe that unspecializedcells, grown in a laboratory, can becoaxed into becoming any of thebody’s cell types, such as bone, skin,pancreas, liver, or nerves. For example,they could become tissues or organs forpatients with Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s,diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure,and spinal cord injuries. The possibilitiesgive hope to all of us — but nothingwill happen without years of costlyresearch. Throughout the nation, there isremarkable comprehension of the bigpicture, if not the medical details. Thepeople’s grasp of the issue has givenrise to anger because of political battlesthat delay stem cell research. Theyknow that religious anti-abortionabsolutists have wormed their way intoscience and medicine with specialemphasis on curtailing embryonic stemcell research. Embryonic stem cells come primarilyfrom excess frozen embryos in fertilityclinics and from abortions. Like theShmoo in Al Capp’s Li’l Abner comicstrip, the lovable creature shaped like abowling pin became what was needed.They laid eggs and gave milk, becamechicken when fried, and steak whenbroiled. They multiplied so fast youcould never run out of them. Dragging the abortion controversyinto the stem cell issue, the RomanCatholic bishops and the conservativeevangelical Christians oppose embry-onic stem cell research because theymaintain that the human embryo is aperson and that “embryonic children”must be protected. These religiousconservatives enact their agendathrough the Bush White House andanti-abortion members of Congress. Itis up to advocates for abortion rights,medical research, and specific diseasesto insist that crucial research intoembryonic stem cells goes forth with

adequate government funding and norestrictions.

Cloning Cloning is the current focus oflegislative attention. “Reproductive cloning” could leadto installing an exact genetic copy of aperson into a woman’s uterus. There isno support for reproductive cloning inCongress and little anywhere else. There is, however, enormous publicsupport for “therapeutic cloning,” inwhich stem cells that do not have thepotential to become fetuses are createdto cure diseases. Researchers havecreated kidney and heart tissue fromcloned cow embryos, then implantedthe genetically identical tissue into thecow it came from. The cows’ immunesystems did not reject the tissue and thenew organs functioned properly. Thescientists believe that this shows the“enormous medical potential” oftherapeutic cloning in large mammals,including humans. An advance recently reported showsthat embryonic stem cells can beswitched over into significant amountsof exactly the kind of brain cell that islost in Parkinson’s disease, a techniquethat might have possible use in therapy.

Congress weighs in A bill introduced by SenatorsEdward Kennedy (D-MA.) and DianneFeinstein (D-CA) (S 2439), would allowtherapeutic cloning but would imposecriminal penalties for engaging inreproductive cloning. Opponents,including Mr. Bush, have warned thatthe therapeutic cloning studies willinevitably lead to “embryo farms” andthe manufacture of babies for “spareparts.” Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), longopposed to abortion, announced hissupport of the Kennedy-Feinstein bill.He wrote, “Therapeutic cloning couldbenefit millions of Americans. I ana-lyzed this issue from a pro-life, pro-family perspective, with the convictionthat being pro-life demands helping theliving.” He also said, “Therapeuticcloning, if conducted with appropriate

safeguards, may yield cures for manyserious illnesses. And why wouldanyone oppose that?” The Senate has also been chokingon a bill (S 1899) sponsored by Sena-tors Sam Brownback (R-KS.) and MaryLandrieu (D-LA.) that would ban bothreproductive and therapeutic cloning, ameasure passed by the GOP-anti-choice controlled House. Partisanpolitics stalled both bills, at least fornow. Cure-by-stem cell isn’t imminent. Itwill take years of pure science andexperimentation before a single spinalcord is repaired or stem cells becomethe pancreatic islet cells that secreteinsulin. But the excitement is there, thehope is there — and it will happen. Strategically, we must personalizethe stem cell issue. Christopher Reeve,a quadriplegic, is a headline-makingadvocate, as is Michael Fox forParkinson’s. I’m up-front about beingdisabled from a spinal cord injury. Themore we all speak out, the quicker we’llget lawmakers like Sen. Hatch tounderstand that the world existsbeyond the anti-choice agenda. Michael Kinsley (Washington Post,8/29/01) said, “Opposition to stem cellresearch is the reductio ad absurdum ofthe right-to-life argument. A goldfishresembles a human being more than anembryo does. An embryo feels nothing,thinks nothing, cannot suffer, is notaware of its own existence. ... Yetopponents of stem cell research wouldallow real people, who can suffer, to doso in service of the abstract principlethat embryos are people too. If faithtakes you there, fine. Reason can’t.”

Visit ourweb site

atwww.wcla.org

ProChoice, Westchester Coalition for Legal Abortion, Inc.Summer 2002 15

I will help WCLA-PAC pay for the Voting Guide and get-out-the-vote effort.

Checks are payable to WCLA-PAC. Mail with this coupon to 237 Mamaroneck Ave., White Plains, NY 10605.Contributions to WCLA-PAC are not tax deductible. To phone in a charge, please call (914) 946-5363.

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I will volunteer for WCLA. Send me a form.I will contact my legislators when notified. By e-mail.I will do phoning.I won’t vote for candidates who would restrict abortion.

Enclosed is my contribution to WCLA-PAC: $35 $50 $100 $150 $250 $500 $1,000 Other $_______

Lest We Forget…

E-mail users: We would like to contact you. We won’t inundate you, but we send inter-esting items from time to time and it saves us money on thank-you notes for contribu-tions. Please e-mail us at WCLA@WCLA.org. Include your name and, if you can, the 5- or6-digit code on the left of the line above your name on the mailing label.

“Women came in on the GYN wards withall sorts of conditions and you suspected– even though they would maybe neveradmit it – that there had been an illegalabortion. There were a lot of kidneyproblems, bladder problems, and infec-tions from incomplete abortions….Manywomen died from peritonitis, an infectionin the abdomen, and septicemia, aninfection in the bloodstream. “Absolutely, all the time, women werepressured to give the names of theabortionists, but it was the best-keptsecret in the world. There was a bondthere. The women would either die or gohome without telling. In those days, theauthorities reported an abortion just like itwas a major crime….” Registered nurse in “The Choices weMade,” edited by Angela Bonavoglia,Random House, 1991.

Dear Catherine: Please express to your Board my deep appreciation and heartfelt thanks for yourstrong and significant support for my candidacy in my recent Special Election to theCounty Board of Legislators. I am particularly appreciative for the postcard thatWCLA-PAC mailed out which was received the day before election day. I was notexpecting it. The postcard was a most welcomed surprise. For a Democrat to win in an off-year election in the 6th District is a real accom-plishment. To win the seat in an off-off-year as on May 14th was a real challengeand WCLA’s support and ability to energize the pro-choice constituency wasparticularly important. Please advise your Board that on Election night, I gaveWCLA a stong endorsement in my victory speech that I delivered on Cablevision12. Once again, my thanks to you and WCLA for a job well done.

Very truly yours,

MARTIN ROGOWSKYCounty Legislator

WCLA Scores Again

The single-engine plane cruising overSanta Monica Beach in June towed

a different sort of banner: the 100-foot-long and 30-foot-high image ofan aborted first-trimester fetus. Re-sponsible for this advertising is theCenter for Bio-Ethical Reform, a LosAngeles organization. The cost of theexercise was $2500/per day to rent theplane. The anti-choice group hopes to

It’s a Bird…It’s a Plane…It’s Intimidationraise additional funds for aerial bannercampaigns over professional sportingevents and college campuses. The group, which started its air-borne campaign on Memorial Dayweekend in the Miami-Ft. Lauderdalearea and also flew it over Cape Cod,plans to repeat the action over ConeyIsland, the Hamptons, and the Jerseyshore during the summer.

CBR’s website (www.cbinfo.org)shows an active anti-choice agenda,including large signs on trucks, theirGenocide Awareness Project, whichcarries graphic displays of abortedfetuses and acts of historical genocide,and likens abortion to racial cleansing.CBR’s traveling display visits collegecampuses around the country.

Please return this coupon with your contribution to Westchester Coalition for Legal Abortion-PAC.

Westchester Coalition for Legal Abortion, Inc.237 Mamaroneck AvenueWhite Plains NY 10605

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InsideDivided We Fall............................ 2President Emerita’s Mind.......................2Editorials .......................................... 3Faso: RTL Poster Boy...................... 4Come Out, Pataki............................5Assaults On Choice...........................6Farewell, Clinic...................................6

Third World Women..............................7Meet Your New District....................... 8Your Elected Officials; Action Alert.......10Women’s Health Law...........................11Bonnici Appointed to CUNY..........11Margulies Cartoon........................11Benjamin A. Gilman...........................12Nita Lowey......... ..............................13

For up-to-date information,please point your browser to

WLCA’s website, www.wcla.org.

A listing of bona fide clinic-basedabortion providers may now be

found online at a new site run by theNational Coalition of Abortion Provid-ers. Point your browser to:www.abortionclinicdirectory.com orhttp://www.ru486.com to see a list bystate or by services provided. ThisAbortion Clinic Directory is a product ofthe Foundation to Preserve Access toAbortion, a non-profit organizationwhich is the educational arm of theNational Coalition.

WCLA Seeks Office ManagerWCLA needs an office manager/coordinator. This is an excellent job opportu-nity for the right person. The ideal candidate should be pro-choice, efficient,organized, careful with details, good with people, flexible and computer literate.The position involves a lot of computer work as well as managing a small office,some secretarial work, research, writing, bookkeeping, and managing volun-teers. It would be a plus to be interested in politics and familiar withWestchester’s elected officials. To apply, send a letter and resume to WCLA, 237 Mamaroneck Ave., WhitePlains, NY 10605, or e-mail to WCLA@WCLA.org. Please do not call.

Remember to Register to Vote!

To vote you must be registered! If you register for the primary, you do not needto register again for the general election. The primary is on Sept. 10. The

deadline to register is Aug. 16. The general election is on Nov. 5. The deadline toregister is Oct. 11. You can do it in person or by mail. The mailing address is:Westchester Board of Elections, 25 Quarropas St., White Plains, NY, 10601. Formore information, call the Board of Elections, (914) 995-5700.

Money vs. Safety..............................13Stem Cells: Pro and Con...................14Lest We Forget.................................15WCLA-PAC Coupon........................15

Great Giftsand No Shopping

Stumped for an innovative gift?There’s a perfect solution that has

never failed to please: a donation in therecipient’s name to a cause. Donationsto WCLA to honor birthdays, anniversa-ries, bat/bar mitzvahs, confirmations,and for memorials, are a wonderful idea.Please consider WCLA when you makeyour next special contribution. We willgraciously thank not only you but alsothe recipient or their family.

Reliable Listingof Abortion Providers

The Albany budget wrangling provided an unexpected benefit for infertilecouples. Legislative leaders agreed to insert into a budget bill the requirement

that insurance companies cover most infertility treatments as of Sept. 1. While somedrug therapies will be covered, in vitro fertilization and vasectomy reversal will not be. Many New Yorkers, however, will be unaffected by the change. Medicaid recipi-ents, the uninsured, individual policyholders and those covered by self-insured plans(subject to federal regulation) will not benefit. NYS will institute a pilot project with$10 million in funding for those who would not benefit. The criteria for inclusion is tobe formulated.

NYS to Require Coverage of Some Infertility Treatments