A Woodlawn Town Hall meeting with elected officials Councilman Andrew Cohen, State Senator Alessandra Biaggi, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, and Congressman Eliot Engels went smoothly until there was a question about recently passed state legislation called the Reproductive Health Act. The RHA now allows for a fetus to be aborted much closer to the time of birth than before, which was part of the Progressive agenda by Governor Andrew Cuomo and the new Democratic controlled State Senate.
Abortion has long been a controversial point to many, especially in conservative areas such as Woodlawn. When the question came up State Senator Biaggi tried to explain the new law, but a woman then a man stood up to shout her down about killing babies now. For a short period of time Senator Biaggi had to stop as the pair kept interrupting her. Senator Biaggi was finally allowed to finish her comments, and then a well prepared Assemblyman Dinowitz read five points which he said was the new law. After that the Town Hall meeting returned to normal with local issues written on cards being read by Assemblyman Dinowitz's Chief of Staff Ms. Randi Martos.
Other questions were about the new LED street lights, local parks, immigration, schools, traffic, other new legislation recently passed in Albany, taxes, land use matters, and the upcoming state budget.
Above - State Senator Alessandra Biaggi talking about the Reproductive Health Act.
Below - A woman holding a video tape of an abortion, and a man holding a bible kept interrupting Senator Biaggi claiming that babies would be aborted right before they were to be born. Senator Biaggi had to wait until their outbursts were over to continue.
Above - Assemblyman Dinowitz a veteran of many Town Hall meeting came well prepared as he spoke about the five points of the new Reproductive Health Act, and other topics that were asked.
Below - While most questions did not require an answer from Congressman Engel, his Chief of Staff Bill Weitz was well equipped to answer a question about immigration.
