New York Governor Andrew Cuomo seeks to amend state Constitution to include abortion rights

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called for an amendment to the state Constitution on Monday to include abortion rights should Roe v. Wade be overturned in the U.S. Supreme Court.

Cuomo, who made the announcement while speaking at a rally in New York for Family Planning Advocates, said that the amendment would preserve the status quo regardless of future Supreme Court rulings, Reuters reported.

"As Washington seeks to limit women's rights, we seek to protect them, and as they threaten reproductive rights, I propose a constitutional amendment to write Roe v. Wade into the New York State Constitution to prevent any attack on the right to choose," Cuomo said, according to the Daily Dot.

"We will not allow the progress of the women's movement to be stopped, and we must seize this opportunity to bring the state and the nation forward and stand up for women's health," he continued.

The Roe v. Wade ruling made abortion legal until the point of viability, which was defined by the court when the fetus "has the capability of meaningful life outside the mother's womb," generally at about 24 weeks into pregnancy.

The Supreme Court also allowed abortions after viability if necessary to protect the life or health of the mother.

If Roe v. Wade is overturned, abortion would only remain legal in states that would allow it. In New York, state law allows abortion up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, and afterward, if the woman's life is at stake. However, it does not include an exception for cases when the mother's health is at risk.

Dennis Poust, a spokesman for the New York State Catholic Conference, dismissed Cuomo's proposal and predicted that it will fail. He questioned the need for the amendment, noting the high rate of abortions performed in New York.

"How many abortions are enough? No one can credibly claim that access to abortion is under any threat in New York," he said.

A report published by the Guttmacher Institute revealed that there were 29.6 abortions per 1,000 women in New York in 2014, compared to 14.6 abortions per 1,000 nationally.

Constitutional amendments require two separate legislative votes, in successive terms, and it must be approved by voters.

The New York Senate is currently controlled by the Republicans, but it is possible that such an amendment might receive the support of some Republicans if they are pressured by constituents who are pro-abortion, according to Costas Panagopoulos, a political scientist at New York's Fordham University.