NEW YORK – State Senator Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan) released the following statement today in response to legislation (A9061) introduced by Assembly Member Steve Katz (R-Yorktown) that would prohibit public funding for Planned Parenthood in New York:

State Senator Brad Hoylman said: “The proposed legislation to defund Planned Parenthood in New York is a crass, right-wing political stunt. It's especially galling that it's been introduced the day after indictments were handed down by a grand jury in Houston implicating anti-choice activists from the so-called ‘Center for Medical Progress’ and exonerating Planned Parenthood from culpability. 

“But we have to take seriously even pathetic attempts like this to limit a woman's right to choose. Planned Parenthood fills a major gap in access to life-saving and emergency medical care for communities throughout New York, with a service portfolio ranging from cancer screenings and STD testing to sex education and family planning. “