New York’s ‘equal rights’ constitutional amendment restored to ballot by appeals court

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A proposed amendment to New York’s constitution to prohibit discrimination based on “gender identity” and “pregnancy outcomes” has been restored to the November election ballot by a state appeals court. A panel of midlevel appellate judges on Tuesday overturned an earlier decision by an upstate judge to strike the proposed Equal Rights Amendment from the ballot over a procedural error. The New York Constitution currently bans discrimination based on race, color, creed or religion. The proposed amendment would add several categories, including sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, and reproductive health care. Voters in the 2024 election would need to approve the amendment for it to become final.