Attorney General Letitia James wants to create a state fund to pay for abortions sought by women who live outside of New York, as the U.S. Supreme Court weighs a final decision on reversing a Mississippi law aimed at restricting the procedure.
James — who is running for governor next year — said she thinks the Empire State should “establish a dedicated fund that would help support and provide financial resources to women across the country so that they could continue to make their own reproductive choices.”
The fund would cover the cost of the abortion, plus travel and hotel expenses for women traveling to the state, according to James.
James’ proposal comes in response to oral arguments heard last week in the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, challenging a 2018 law that put a 15-week ban on abortions in Mississippi.
But conservative justices — which make up a 6-3 majority on the bench — have signaled they could even be interested in overturning Roe v. Wade altogether — the 1973 SCOTUS decision granting women the right to having an abortion — instead favoring an approach permitting states to set their own abortion laws.
James’ office did not respond to repeated requests for comment from The Post regarding how much the initiative would cost or where the dollars would come from.
Hochul, meanwhile, said that she’s “open to exploring any proposals to further protect abortion access in our state.”