ALBANY — Gov. Kathy Hochul predicted Friday that New York abortion providers will see a surge in demand for the procedure due to a “mass migration” of pregnant women from states restricting access to reproductive services.

“I want to make sure our providers in New York are protected,” Hochul said. “There will be a mass migration of women in search of reproductive freedom coming from other states to New York.”

Her comments, made in a televised interview, came on the same day the U.S. Supreme Court, in a landmark 5-4 ruling, overturned the 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision, allowing state governments to outlaw abortion.

In anticipation of the ruling, Hochul last month announced the state is channeling $35 million in public funding to help abortion providers expand capacity to deal with the anticipated influx of women seeking the procedure and access security grants from the state Division of Criminal Justice Services.

Lawmakers are expected to return to the statehouse late in the coming week to pass a new pistol permit law after the Hochul administration and Attorney General Tish James were unsuccessful in their effort to convince the Supreme Court to keep the current pistol licensing protocol intact

Hochul, though, has yet to indicate that any abortion measures will be on the agenda for the special session.

One hard-charging Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, Ana Maria Archila, who has racked up the endorsement of the Working Families Party and the state’s most influential Hispanic media outlet, El Diario, said it is “absolutely unacceptable” to not include additional abortion protections for the special session.

“We need permanent investment in access and care, not one-shot deals,” Archila said.

New York has among the strongest abortion protections in the nation. State law allows abortion up to 24 weeks into a pregnancy for any reason. Abortions can be performed after that point if a patient’s health or life is threatened or the fetus is no longer viable. Under legislation enacted in 2019, abortion was removed from the state criminal code, protecting providers from facing criminal prosecution, and health care professionals who are not physicians are allowed to perform the procedure.

Donna Lieberman, director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, urged lawmakers to immediately stitch abortion protections into the state Constitution.

“Failing to pass these critical measures this summer is unconscionable — we must protect abortion care and ensure that anyone needing care can get it right here in New York.” Lieberman said in a statement Friday.

Senate GOP Leader Rob Ortt, R-Niagara County, argued there is no threat to New York’s abortion protections and decried Hochul’s effort to make public funding available for those who come to the state to have pregnancies terminated.

“Despite this reality, Albany politicians will sadly use this ruling to fear-monger and weaponize this issue for their own political gain,” Ortt said.

While New York’s Democratic leaders denounced the Supreme Court, the Catholic Conference of New York State applauded the ruling, thanking anti-abortion activists who have prayed, fasted and held vigils dedicated to the overturning of the 1973 ruling.

“We acknowledge the wide range of emotions associated with this decision,” the bishops said. “We call on all Catholics and everyone who supports the right to life for unborn children to be charitable, even as we celebrate an important historical moment and an answer to a prayer.”

In a series of tweets, Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Saratoga County, called attention to a series of anatomical features of fetuses at various stages of development, from six weeks through 15 weeks of pregnancy. She also referenced the fact she gave birth to her first child 10 months ago.

“As a new mom, the fight to defend life has never been more important to me,” Stefanik tweeted. “I applaud the Supreme Court’s historic ruling, which will save COUNTLESS innocent lives.”

In the North Country, Assemblyman Billy Jones, D-Plattsburgh acknowledged that while the ruling will have a limited impact on New York, it has unleashed concerns that the justices could revisit earlier rulings concerning the availability of contraceptives.

The New York State Bar Association, through its president, Sherry Levin Wallach, said the nation’s top court has “severely limited the civil rights of all American women.”

“The court has overturned precedent before, but every other time the court was driven by the desire to expand individual rights — not to take them away,” Wallach said.

Lawmakers who back the new ruling contend New York taxpayer dollars should not be channeled to support the abortions of women heading to New York because their home state has restricted the procedure.

“Now that Roe vs. Wade is overturned, I believe it is only a matter of time before the far left legislators who control the agenda in Albany try to make New Yorkers pay for the air fare, hotel stays, and abortion procedures of women from other states who travel here to terminate their pregnancies,” said state Sen. Phil Boyle, R-Long Island. He said he is introducing legislation to ban the use of state funds for such expenditures.

Abortion rights proponent Sen. Michael Gianaris, D-Queens, argued Congress should have codified the Roe decision with federal legislation, contending inaction resulted in an “awful decision.”

Proposed legislation calling for a state constitutional amendment, framed by Sen. Liz Krueger, D-Manhattan, would mandate “equality” rights for pregnancy outcomes, but also for sexual orientation, gender identify and gender expression.

“The State shall not use its police power or power of the purse to burden, limit, or favor any type of reproductive decision-making at the expense of other outcomes,” Krueger’s bill states.

Hochul linked the abortion ruling to the election of former President Donald Trump in 2016. Trump appointed three of the justices who sided with the majority opinion.

“This is what’s happened when extremism takes over not just our country but has infiltrated the Supreme Court of the United States of America,” Hochul said. “We lose our ability to protect our citizens from gun violence, and as women we lose the right to make a decision, a very personal decision about our own bodies.”