Rebecca C. Lewis | City & State NY | March 22, 2024
Abortion rights activists gathered in midtown Manhattan at the headquarters of 1199SEIU on Thursday to start the campaign to pass the state Equal Rights Amendment. Although the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022 failed to galvanize New York Democrats in the November elections that year, organizers are confident that recent high-profile court cases will get New Yorkers listening.
Several dozen volunteers and organizers from states around the country gathered to kick off a series of similar actions to strategize how to get the word out about the state constitutional amendment on the ballot that would enshrine the right to an abortion, among other civil rights. The event was part of a $20 million effort launched by organizers to promote the constitutional amendment that will be on the ballot in November. The campaign is still in its relatively early stages, as the state still has primary elections to hold in April for president and in June for Congress and the state Legislature. But campaign director Sasha Ahuja told City & State that energizing volunteers early is crucial in order to hit the ground running in the summer when the campaign ramps up.
