New York State wrap-up: no fault passed, noteworthy absences

Without a state budget passed and the governor of New York making good on his promise to veto by July 9 each and every unsigned spending item (a whopping 6,900 of them) placed before him, the New York State legislature somehow managed to find time to allow no-fault divorce. This is not bad in and of itself; what is bad is the presumptions made around it, as reflected in the article reporting it. Left undone was the reclassifying of the regulation of post-first-trimester abortions as a matter of public health instead of a criminal matter, but noticeably absent is any mention of a guarantee of the (purported) father's right to an equivalent form of discretionary choice. Excerpt:

'Every action by the Assembly and Senate in the past three months has been done under a pall of the state's $9.2 billion deficit and the inability of lawmakers and Gov. David Paterson to negotiate a budget, which was due April 1.
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On Thursday, the Assembly gave final passage to legislation that would implement no-fault divorce in New York, something every other state allows. Companion bills passed by both houses would require counsel fees to be awarded at the onset of the divorce process and set up guidelines for interim spousal support. Proponents of the bills say they would ensure that the spouse with less money, often the woman, gets adequate financial support. They would allow divorce after six months and the resolution of all financial issues, rather than require a finding of fault, such as adultery, or a separation agreement and one year living apart.

No-fault divorce would benefit all litigants because they would "no longer be forced to testify before a judge and sometimes before a jury about why a marriage failed" or lie to the courts to get out of a marriage quickly, said Annette Hasapidis, co-chairwoman of the Women's Bar Association's Legislation Committee.
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Other issues left undone at the Capitol include:
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Abortion: Move the regulation of abortion from the criminal code to the public-health code, guarantee a woman's right to control her reproductive health and use or refuse contraception, and permit abortions after viability if the fetus or the woman's health is in danger. It would update the state's abortion laws, which pre-date the federal Roe v. Wade decision.'