New York City

As More States Restrict Abortion, Others Put Out the Welcome Mat for Women

Abortion rights advocates across the U.S. are lauding New York City's funding and Illinois' new law as creating "islands of access" for women in need

Some states and cities have a message for women seeking abortions who live in places where it is becoming increasingly restricted: We're here for you.

New York City and Illinois — spurred by a slew of states that have passed laws recently to limit or ban abortion — are taking action to provide women from out of state with financial and other assistance for easier access to abortions, NBC News reports. Last month, the New York City Council approved $250,000 for abortions for poor women who live in, or who have traveled to, the city specifically to receive the procedure — the first time, experts told NBC News, that a municipality has directly allocated money for abortion that could be explicitly used for residents from other locales. 

Meanwhile, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, last month signed a law making abortion a "fundamental right" in the state, codifying Roe v. Wade into state law, striking down a handful of anti-abortion provisions that had been on the books for decades (like spousal consent, waiting periods and felony penalties for doctors performing the procedure) and requiring nearly all insurance plans, both public and private, to cover abortion.

In strengthening the state's abortion law, Illinois lawmakers are inviting women from other states to come for abortions.

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