“Today the New York State Assembly advanced the second passage of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). In July of last year, my colleagues and I passed the ERA for the first time. To amend the New York State Constitution, an amendment like the ERA must be passed by two consecutive legislatures to appear on the ballot in November 2024.

The ERA builds on existing state constitutional protections to prohibit discrimination based on pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation. It would also protect against any government action that would attack a women’s right to choose.

“After six ultra-conservative justices eviscerated Roe v. Wade, which had 50 years of established precedent, Justice Clarence Thomas stated that the Supreme Court “should reconsider” past rulings on same-sex marriage and contraception. The ERA would act as a safeguard to this rogue Supreme Court that is determined to take our country back 100 years.

“As a civil rights attorney, I have spent my career fighting discrimination and defending individuals who have had their constitutional rights violated. I have, unfortunately, witnessed some horrific acts of discrimination and I know firsthand that the ERA will protect New Yorkers from facing this type of treatment in the future. By supporting the Equal Rights Amendment, I am furthering my duty to uphold the law and ensure that individuals are treated equally under our state’s constitution.