Statement from Senator Michelle Hinchey on Louisiana Indictment

The fears that many of us have had for months have become a reality. Today, a doctor I know personally and who is a constituent was indicted by a Louisiana grand jury for doing her job—providing telehealth for someone in need. This is a deliberate effort to criminalize the private healthcare decisions of a patient. 

The second we allow the United States legal system to be weaponized for ideological control over basic healthcare, we all lose. This indictment is about an anti-abortion state forcibly imposing its will and trying to dismantle the very core of healthcare accessibility and patient autonomy—and frankly, it’s outrageous. 

Let me make one thing abundantly clear: The Hudson Valley and the New York State Legislature will never allow politics to trample over science, medicine, and the fundamental rights of our people. It’s no accident that New York has some of the strongest shield laws in the country, working to protect our medical providers who are doing their jobs against out-of-state investigations, prosecutions, professional discipline, and civil liability. I am also deeply thankful for Governor Hochul's commitment to using every tool at her disposal to safeguard our medical providers from these attacks.

We will continue to defend the rights of healthcare professionals and their patients from overreach, no matter where or who it comes from. 

No thank you, Louisiana.”