Audio & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Calls Out Texas Abortion Ban on CNN’s This Morning

Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul appeared on CNN’s This Morning.

AUDIO of the event is available here.

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

Phil Mattingly, CNN: Joining us now, Democratic Governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, we appreciate your time, Governor, welcome.

Governor Hochul: Good morning.

Phil Mattingly, CNN: I want to start on Texas because I think this is a very, very central issue, not just politically, but I think it's people trying to understand the post-Roe environment in particular states. What was your response when you saw it play out?

Governor Hochul: This is the nightmare that every woman has feared since we actually got the leaked memo about the Dobbs decision, that it would go against 50 years of rights that women fought so hard for. My mother's generation fought for those rights. I benefited from those rights. And now those rights will not be there for my daughter and my granddaughter. So that is, to me personally, it's abhorrent. And as a woman, it's tragic, but as a Governor, I have a different philosophy on this. And we'll talk about that, what we're doing next November on the ballot in the State.

Poppy Harlow, CNN: That’s exactly what I wanted to talk about so abortion is going to be on the ballot it is going to be on the ballot to codify that right in this State as people go also to vote on, which is amazing that we don't have it yet, an Equal Rights Amendment in this country for women. Why is it important in a state like New York where you don't really have the threat from the legislature of getting rid of abortion rights to have that codified on the ballot this way?

Governor Hochul: There actually are threats. I mean, there was an election for Governor last year and there was an opponent who had said that he would put in a pro-life Health Commissioner. Health Commissioners have a lot of power. That could have happened right here in the state of New York, regardless of what the law says. So as soon as we heard about Dobbs, I convened the Legislature in an emergency session. I said, “let's get this codified not just in State law, but enshrined in our State constitution.” So future Governors, whatever their philosophy may be, if it's if it's at odds with these values, that they will not be able to successfully strip those rights away from New York women. And I'm calling on all state Governors, regardless of your own philosophy, let the women of your state decide. It happened in Kentucky. It happened in Ohio. Put it on the ballot. Let these women decide their own destiny and not have a bunch of MAGA men determining the outcome of their lives and indeed their health.

Phil Mattingly, CNN: You make a point, the electoral success on abortion that Democrats have had on this issue over the course – not just the midterm elections, but also the off-year election as well. New York is going to be center stage for the House of Representatives to some degree. To somebody would say you're just putting this on the ballot, given it's a blue state because you want to juice turnout for the midterm or for 2024.

Governor Hochul: That's pretty cynical because as you pointed out, we don't even have an Equal Rights Amendment in the state of New York. So we are enshrining many rights: reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, rights for people with disabilities. We're enshrining all the rights that could be jeopardized by future Governors and putting them on the ballot. This was a decision that was made prior to the Dobbs decision, I assure you, because it takes two cycles of the Legislature. So now we've gone through four years ago. So I would say I disagree with that assessment, but this is time for a place like New York to stand up, be a beacon of hope and really be the safe harbor. Women of Texas, businesses in Texas who employ women, where people have wives and daughters and mothers, come to New York, come to a place like this, make a statement.

Poppy Harlow, CNN: Do you see this as an economic case to be made to bring a lot of business that has fled to states like Florida and Texas because of some of their more, seen as pro-business policies or tax structure, etc., as coming back here as a result of that?

Governor Hochul: First of all, we are pro-business in the State.

Poppy Harlow, CNN: I knew you were going to say that, but you know the counterargument.

Governor Hochul: But also we're pro-women. We're pro human rights. We're pro freedom for women. We're freedom loving here in the state of New York. We don't think that MAGA judges and an Attorney General from the state of Texas who's just trying to elevate his profile and get more clicks and be the darling of the MAGA right, they should not be the ones who make these determinations. So after the Dobbs decision, I literally took out a full page ad in the Wall Street Journal and said, “if you value your freedoms of your employees and your workers come to New York where they will be protected.” In other states, other states where we actually honor women, respect them and think that they should be able to determine what happens to their own body. And not have someone say to a young mother, Kate Cox, 31-year-old mother, who wanted to grow her family and was so devastated when she found out that her baby had a fetal genetic disease that could result in death upon, even earlier, pre-term death, or as soon as a baby is born, it would die or the mother could die. I mean, this is what the exception of the Texas law provided and the judges still went against her. This shakes you to a core as a woman and it is it is so reprehensible. I'm proud to stand up, not just for New York women, but all across America and say this is wrong. This is our country, America, in 2024, almost. What have we come to? We must stand up at election time and change the course of history.

Phil Mattingly, CNN: You mentioned the election, I'm not connecting the two here, but there was a pretty significant moment yesterday in the state of New York in terms of redistricting, where that might head going forward. Is it your sense right now that Democrats will as aggressively pursue specific maps as they did with the maps and end up being overturned?

Governor Hochul: My view is this, as Governor, I have to make sure that the process plays out according to law. That's all this was about. And a judge in the rural part of New York had a different determination on who had those rights. And the Court of Appeals, that predated the Court of Appeals that I had some say over, they had a different opinion on this. I'm not putting my finger on the scale saying it would be good for Democrats or Republicans, it's not my job. My job is to say the process is an Independent Redistricting Commission decides it, and if they can't come to a decision, the State Legislature decides, not a rural judge. That's all we're talking about here.

Poppy Harlow, CNN: It is seen as going to be a big boon for Democrats. We'll watch as it plays out.

Governor Hochul: We shall see.

Poppy Harlow, CNN: We shall see. Governor, nice to have you. Thank you very much.

Governor Hochul: Thank you.

Poppy Harlow, CNN: Appreciate it.