CASTLETON-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. – Republicans in competitive U.S. House races in New York are warning voters that their opponents support a Democratic-backed ballot question that would codify illegal immigrants’ rights while removing parental rights.

Democrats are advocating for the constitutional amendment on New York’s ballot, hoping it would bring out liberals ready to protect abortion rights. But Republicans are doing the same because the state’s proposed “Equal Rights Amendment,” or “Proposition 1” includes ideological measures that the GOP thinks will bring out their voters over its potential impact on parental rights and transgender issues.

“You have Democrats in the state of New York fighting for a constitutional amendment to provide state rights to those who are here illegally,” Rep. Marc Molinaro told his constituents Saturday during a campaign stop, “And what does that mean? Thanks to the Working Families Party, thanks to New York City Democrats, it means they want to extend the right to vote to those people who came in here legally. Not no; Hell no.”

---

---

GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik told The Washington Times during the campaign stop in Mr. Molinaro’s district that Democrats want to snatch parental rights from New Yorkers.

“This is a stark contrast between Republicans and Democrats on the ballot. We oppose Proposition One, and here’s why. It’s because Republicans, both [Rep.] Marc [Molinaro] and myself, oppose taxpayer funds going towards illegals,” she said.

“We oppose taxpayer funds going to gender transition surgeries and [support] parental rights. You know who supports taxpayer funds going to illegals? You know who supports boys in women’s sports? Who supports taxpayer funds going to sex changes for minors? [Democrat] Josh Riley does.”

The Washington Times reached out to Mr. Riley’s campaign and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee for comment.

The proposed amendment would broaden a section of New York’s constitution that now says a person cannot be denied their civil rights because of their race, creed or religion.

The new language would ban discrimination based on national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes or “reproductive healthcare and autonomy.”

John Faso, a former New York GOP congressman fighting the measure, told The Times that Proposition 1 “will impact parental rights over health care decisions for their minor children, because a new constitutional right based on gender identity and gender expression, without any limitation on age.”

“It will mean that a 16-year-old will wind up in court represented by the Human Rights Campaign or the ACLU saying ’My parents won’t let me have transgender treatments, and that conflicts with my newly found constitutional right to gender expression or gender identity,’” Mr. Faso said. “A constitutional right will override a mere statutory requirement of parental control over health care decisions for minors. So, the advocates [for Prop 1] say, ’Oh that can’t possibly happen. Well, it’s Constitutional Law 101.”

Mr. Faso pointed out that the ballot measure does not mention the word abortion, an issue that the proposition’s own supporters fought to include since July.

The state Board of Elections determines ballot language. After the BOE released the language last summer, some of the proposition’s advocates cried foul, because it appeared too confusing and did not comply with the so-called “plain language law.” A lawsuit was filed to include the words “abortion” and “LGBT.”

Although a judge somewhat changed the language, neither word was added.

When New York voters go to the polls on Nov. 5, they will cast their ballot for president and vice president, congressional lawmakers, state and local lawmakers. The proposal on the ballot will be written as the following:

“This proposal would protect against unequal treatment based on ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, and sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity and pregnancy. It also protects against unequal treatment based on reproductive healthcare and autonomy.”

A “YES” vote puts these protections in the New York State Constitution.

A “NO” vote leaves these protections out of the State Constitution.”