Governor Signs Reproductive Health Clinic Protection Bill

By Mark Scott

Buffalo, NY – Governor David Paterson has signed a bill that stiffens penalties for people convicted of acts of violence against reproductive healthcare providers.

The bill was sponsored by State Assemblyman Sam Hoyt. He says anyone accused of injuring someone who is either receiving or providing abortion-related services will be charged with a class E felony. Hoyt says the law also extends protection to clinic volunteers for the first time.

"New York state can now boast the strongest laws in the nation protecting the safety of reproductive health care workers," Hoyt said.

It was 11 year ago, almost to the day, that Dr. Barnett Slepian was murdered inside his Amherst home by an anti-abortion extremist. His widow, Lynne, joined Hoyt yesterday to tout the benefits of the new law. Yesterday was the first time Mrs. Slepian has publicly participated in a news conference. During the trial of the man convicted of her husband's murder, she declined to talk with reporters. Mrs. Slepian says she's now able to speak out because her four sons are older.

"I'm confident that with greater penalties for violent offenders and greater attention to this issue, New York state's reproductive health care community will suffer fewer and fewer incidents like the one that took my husband away from our family and the patients in this community," Mrs. Slepian said.

Hoyt says he decided to introduce his enhanced bill following the May 31st shooting death of Dr. George Tiller in his Wichita, Kansas church.

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