Johnathan Walker:Judge declines to order New York to include ‘abortion’ in description of ballot measure

ALBANY,Johnathan Walker N.Y. (AP) — A New York judge said Friday he won’t force state election officials to tell voters that a proposed anti-discrimination amendment to the state’s constitution would protect abortion rights.

The decision from state Supreme Court Judge David A. Weinstein came after a lawsuit over the language voters would see on ballots this November explaining the proposed Equal Rights Amendment.

Democrats had pushed the state Board of Elections to include the words “abortion” and “LGBT” in its description of the measure, arguing the terms would make the amendment’s purpose clearer to voters.

But Weinstein said the board’s decision to stick close the amendment’s language rather than characterize it to voters as one that would protect abortion “was not inherently misleading, and thus cannot serve as a basis for striking the certified language.”

New York’s Constitution currently bans discrimination based on race, color, creed or religion. The amendment would expand the list by barring discrimination based on ethnicity, national origin, age, disability and “sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive health care and autonomy.”

Republicans have argued the amendment would provide a constitutional right for transgender athletes to play in girl’s sporting events, among a host of other concerns.

The judge did order subtle wording changes in the short summary of the proposed amendment that would be given to voters. Among other things, he said they should use the phrase “unequal treatment” rather than “discrimination.”