A1283

The New York State Senate adopted a constitutional amendment on a 42-20 vote that would expand equal protection provisions and explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, reproductive healthcare autonomy, ethnicity, national origin, age and disability. The Equal Rights Amendment, sponsored by Assemblemember Seawright and passed for the second time, will now go to voters in November 2024. Supporters, including Sens. Krueger, Jackson, Ramos, Salazar and Hoylman-Sigal, argued the amendment is necessary to codify reproductive rights and protections for marginalized groups in response to threats to these rights nationally, particularly following the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs decision. They emphasized that the state constitution's current equal protection clause, last updated in 1938, is inadequate. Twenty senators voted against the measure, including Sens. Ashby, Borrello, Felder, Gallivan, Griffo, Helming, Lanza, Mattera, Murray, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Palumbo, Rhoads, Rolison, Stec, Tedisco, Walczyk, Weber and Weik.