A year ago, few people would have predicted that abortion rights would be a central issue in the race for governor.

But that was before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, making a stark contrast between Gov. Kathy Hochul and her Republican challenger Rep. Lee Zeldin even starker.

Appearing in Manhattan Wednesday, Hochul announced that the next round of state funding to abortion providers is now being released, amounting to about $13.4 million.

What You Need To Know

  • Gov. Kathy Hochul released the second portion of a $35 million fund she created earlier this year to provide abortions for those traveling here from states where they were made illegal

  • Hochul also would not commit to providing a total amount to the city for migrants arriving from border states

  • Republican Lee Zeldin was in Westchester to protest the parole of a man convicted of killing a police officer

It’s part of a $35 million fund the governor unilaterally created last May to help provide abortion for those who come to New York from states where abortion is no longer legal.

“This is the next stop on the journey to let the nation know that this is the state of New York and we will protect a woman’s right to a safe and legal abortion. It’s happening here in our state,” Hochul said.

The $35 million fund provides $25 million for 127 abortion clinics throughout New York state and another $10 million for clinic security.

“We have always known that this is work that carries danger. Impossibly so,” added New York State Health Commissioner Mary Bassett. “But it has become so much more fraught now.”

Hochul was also asked about the migrant crisis here in the city. Last week, Mayor Eric Adams declared a state of emergency in the shelter system because of thousands of asylum seekers being bussed to the city from border states without enough resources to provide for them.

Adams asked the state for direct assistance, but Hochul offered no dollar figure.

“We really are looking for a federal response to this. To take ownership of a crisis. And we will be there to help, but this belongs in the federal government and that’s where the Mayor and I are 100% in sync,” Hochul says.

Meanwhile, Republican Lee Zeldin was in Westchester to protest the scheduled parole of a man convicted of killing a police officer in 1976.

“Dozens of cop killers have been released by this parole board. Dozens. And if we don’t stand up and do something about it, dozens more will be released in the future,” Zeldin said.

A new poll out from Siena and Newsday shows Zeldin with a two point lead over Hochul on Long Island. It’s not a total surprise since Zeldin hails from Suffolk County, but the conventional wisdom is that he will need to do much better than that in that area of the state in order to prevail in November.