Senator Brouk Celebrates Historic Passage of Equal Rights Amendment

The New York State Senate advanced the first passage of an amendment to codify the right to an abortion and the right to contraception in the State Constitution. The amendment will also update the existing Equal Rights Amendment to extend current protections to several new classes, including on the basis of sex, disability, national origin, ethnicity, and age.

Senator Samra Brouk said, “The passage of the Equal Rights Amendment is an important step forward for New Yorkers—our State Constitution's equal protection clause has never included protections for sex and gender. While the radical Supreme Court takes action to strip rights away, we took action to protect those rights in New York. This amendment to the State Constitution, once passed by the voters of New York, would finally add protections from discrimination on the basis of sex; including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy. We know this Supreme Court is not done with their attacks on our well-established civil rights and that is why this amendment is so needed. Every individual is entitled to equal rights and justice regardless of who they are, whom they love or what their families look like.”