Governor Hochul: "We're going to keep fighting for our rights, so the next generation will know how much we care about their rights and equality and reproductive freedom. Because this is the birthplace of all the rights, and I know how important it is. The march for rights that we should have never taken for granted continues."

Hochul: "Suit up for battle, my friends. Yes, we're protected here in the State of New York. We're going to enshrine it in our constitution... but let's give hope to our sisters all across America that we have their backs. You come here; we'll help you. We'll support you. This is your safe haven."

Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul delivered remarks at the Planned Parenthood Day of Action.

VIDEO of the event is available on YouTube here

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

Good morning, fellow warriors. Are we ready to take on this fight across the nation once again? Yes, we are. Yes, we are. And our belief that there are rights that are so sacrosanct that they cannot be challenged, and it starts right here in a place like New York. Let me acknowledge Georgana for her leadership of this organization that I've been speaking to my entire adult life, from my days in local government to county government to Congress, Lieutenant Governor, and now as Governor. You have always been there. To all of you, I applaud you. Give yourselves a round of applause, the warriors, the fighting men and women of Planned Parenthood.  

Thank you, Georgana. Our Speaker, Carl Heastie is here. It helps to have allies like a Speaker who will stand up for the rights of women across the state. I thank him for his leadership as well. Carl Heastie has joined us. Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins, we've been in this battle a long time, fighting the good fight. On behalf of all of you, I thank her for her leadership as well. Let's give a round of applause to Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins. My partner, your Lieutenant Governor, Antonio Delgado, has joined us as well. Thank him for being there on the forefront of these battles.

So, this should be a celebration, should have been, 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. You know what happened? It was dark, dark day for many of us back in June, when all of a sudden what we came here and rallied about for years, that possibility that someone would touch these rights and unravel them in our lifetime, actually happened. But here in New York, we stood up, we fought back. We showed what we're made out of. We showed the rest of the nation how immediately you can respond and say, "We will protect the women in our state who will continue to deserve these services." But also, the women who come here from other cities and other states where these rights have been stripped away. We said, "Come to New York. This is our safe harbor." We stood up. This is where you come when you want your rights protected.

So, we established money immediately, $35 million to provide support for all of our providers. Protect your facilities, expand your facilities, hire more people to make sure that we can meet the onslaught, the demand. My home area, Western New York, I don't know if Michelle Casey's joined us here today. Michelle Casey, there you are. She knows how many women are coming from places like Ohio, finding their way to Western New York in search of something that they never should have had to travel more than a couple of blocks for. And I thank you and Michelle and all the leaders across the state for being there to provide this for them.

We also said yes, we're going to now ensure that you can have an abortion in the state of New York without having to come up with a copay. Another statement of our priorities, that is the law here in the State of New York. Legislation to protect the rights of our providers and also saying, we work together with the legislature. We will enshrine these rights not just in law, but in the Constitution of the State of New York with the ERA, and we're going to do it again. We're not going to finish until we get that over the finish line. We're not going to stop. We're not going to stop. That is our commitment to all of you.

That was last year. What are we doing this year? Our State of the State announced that we will protect any personal data for anyone seeking abortion so you would not be intimidated. We'll protect that information. We will allow pharmacists in the State of New York to directly prescribe abortion medication, contraception. And in our own institutions of higher education, SUNY and CUNY, we will allow for students to receive a medication abortion in their healthcare center. And something I know is so important to many of our providers, we will increase the Medicaid reimbursement that you've been asking for, for reproductive health services. We will increase that.

So, I say to you, this was my mother's fight. This was my fight. It was my 34-year-old daughter Katie's fight, even though she had a lot of pictures of her protesting on the Capitol, she's always wearing pink. She texts me pictures. My daughter's fight. But I never dreamed in my lifetime that my eight-month-old granddaughter Sophia would not have the same rights that her great grandma had, that her grandma had, that her aunt had, that her mother had. This cannot be sustained in the United States of America. We're going to keep fighting for our rights, so the next generation will know how much we care about their rights and equality and reproductive freedom.

Because this is the birthplace of all the rights, and I know how important it is. The march for rights that we should have never taken for granted continues. Why do I know about this? Because I'm the first Governor in the State of New York to ever have had a pregnancy, ever raised children, ever had a go for all the screenings that test. I know more than any Governor before me of what it's like to be a woman and wondering, "Does someone else in Washington have a right to take away what I should be able to decide on my own?" So, suit up for battle, my friends. Yes, we're protected here in the State of New York. We're going to enshrine it in our constitution.

We're going to make sure our providers have what they need, but let's give hope to our sisters all across America that we have their backs. You come here; we'll help you. We'll support you. This is your safe haven. Thank you very much. Let's continue on the battle. Thanks, everybody.