New Poll: Majority of New Yorkers Oppose Late-Term Abortion Despite Extreme New Law

Lauretta Brown | March 29, 2019 12:20 PM

A new Marist poll, commissioned by the Knights of Columbus, found Thursday that the vast majority of New Yorkers oppose late-term abortion.

“Abortion after 20 weeks is opposed by New Yorkers by a margin of 75 percent to 20 percent,” the polling found. “This includes 71 percent who would ban abortion after 20 weeks and four percent who would ban the procedure altogether. This includes about seven in 10 Democrats (69 percent), about three quarters of independents (73 percent), and almost nine in 10 Republicans (89 percent).”

Additionally, 63 percent of New Yorkers say abortion should be "generally illegal" in the last trimester of pregnancy, while 32 percent believe it should be "generally legal."

This widespread opposition to late-term abortion is in spite of the fact that 62 percent of New Yorkers identify as pro-choice and only 34 percent identify as pro-life.

"New Yorkers simply do not support laws that allow late-term abortions," Carl Anderson, CEO of the Knights of Columbus, commented on the results of the survey. "It is now clear that these radical policies are being pursued despite opposition by the majority of New Yorkers, and by a majority of those who identify as Democrats, Republicans and independents."

The New York legislature passed the Reproductive Health Act and Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed it into law in January on the anniversary of the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. The measure allows abortion at “any time” to protect “a patient’s life or health” and removes criminal penalties for abortion.

Democrats have been defending late-term abortions following the passage of the New York law.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam even made some remarks that appeared to be defending leaving an infant born after an abortion to die. The comment was in response to a question about the debate over Virginia House of Delegates member Kathy Tran’s (D-Fairfax) bill that would allow an abortion, she initially said, even after the woman goes into labor.

President Trump condemned this push for late-term abortion in his State of the Union address and called for legislation to protect unborn children after 20 weeks. However, Democrats have repeatedly refused to consider legislation that would ensure legal protection for infants born alive after an attempted abortion.